MacKinlay Kantor
Notable Iowa Families & Companies

MacKinlay Kantor

The Webster City novelist whose Civil War epic Andersonville won the Pulitzer Prize.

Born1904–1977
FieldLiterature
FromWebster City, Iowa
LegacyA Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist rooted in north-central Iowa
The story

How it began

Benjamin McKinlay Kantor was born on February 4, 1904, in Webster City, Iowa, and began as a newspaperman before becoming a prolific novelist.

His 1955 Civil War novel Andersonville, about the notorious Confederate prison, won the 1956 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He also wrote Glory for Me, the basis for the acclaimed film The Best Years of Our Lives.

What they built

What he's known for

Legacy

Legacy & philanthropy

Kantor was one of Iowa's most successful literary figures of the 20th century, and Webster City honors its hometown author. His work bridged popular storytelling and serious historical fiction.

Andersonville remains a landmark American Civil War novel.

Life

Milestones

Where you'll see the name

Named for the family

Kendall Young Library connections in Webster CityAndersonville — his Pulitzer novel
FAQ

Common questions

Who was MacKinlay Kantor?

The Webster City novelist whose Civil War epic Andersonville won the Pulitzer Prize.

Where was MacKinlay Kantor from?

MacKinlay Kantor was from Webster City, Iowa.

When was MacKinlay Kantor born?

1904–1977.

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Sources

Where these facts come from

This profile presents only publicly reported facts, drawn from the sources above. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the family or its companies.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons (public domain or freely licensed).

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