O.HenrywasthepennameofAmericanwriterWilliamSydneyPorter(September11,1862–June5,1910),whosecleveruseoftwistendingsinhisstoriespopularizedtheterm"O.HenryEnding".HismiddlenameatbirthwasSidney,notSydney;helaterchangedthespellingofhismiddlenamewhenhefirstbeganwritingasajournalistinthe1880s.

　　Earlylife

　　WilliamSidneyPorterwasbornin1862onaplantation"WorthPlace"inGreensboro,NorthCarolina.WhenWilliamwasthree,hismotherdiedfromtuberculosis,andheandhisfathermovedtothehomeofhispaternalgrandmother.

　　Williamwasanavidreader,andgraduatedfromhisaunt'selementaryschoolin1876,thenenrolledattheLinseyStreetHighSchool.In1879hestartedworkingasabookkeeperinhisuncle'sdrugstoreandin1881–attheageofnineteen–hewaslicensedasapharmacist.

　　TheMovetoTexas

　　HerelocatedtoTexasin1882,initiallyworkingonaranchinLaSalleCountyasasheepherderandranchhand,thenAustinwherehetookanumberofdifferentjobsoverthenextseveralyears,includingpharmacist,draftsman,journalist,andclerk.WhileinTexashealsolearnedSpanish.

　　In1887heelopedwithAtholEstes,theneighteenyearsoldandfromawealthyfamily.HerfamilyobjectedtothematchbecausebothsheandPortersufferedfromtuberculosis.Atholgavebirthtoasonin1888,whodiedshortlyafterbirth,andthenadaughter,Margaret,in1889.

　　In1894PorterstartedahumorousweeklycalledTheRollingStone.Alsoin1894,PorterresignedfromtheFirstNationalBankofAustinwherehehadworkedasateller,afterhewasaccusedofembezzlingfunds.In1895,afterTheRollingStoneceasedpublication,hemovedtoHouston,wherehestartedwritingfortheHoustonPost.Shortlythereafter,hewasarrestedforembezzlementinconnectionwithhispreviousemploymentinAustin.

　　FlightandReturn

　　Porterwasgrantedbond,butthedaybeforehewasduetostandtrialonJuly7,1896,heabscondedtoNewOrleansandlatertoHonduras.However,in1897,whenhelearnedthathiswifewasdying,hereturnedtotheUnitedStatesandsurrenderedtothecourt,pendinganappeal.

　　AtholEstesPorterdiedJuly25,1897.Porterwasfoundguiltyofembezzlement,sentencedtofiveyearsjail,andimprisonedApril25,1898attheOhioStatePenitentiary.HewasreleasedonJuly24,1901forgoodbehaviourafterservingthreeyears.

　　OriginofPenName

　　Porterpublishedatleasttwelvestorieswhileinprisontohelpsupporthisdaughter.Notwantinghisreaderstoknowhewasinjail,hestartedusingthepenname"O.Henry".ItisbelievedthatPortergotthisnamefromoneoftheguardswhowasnamedOrrinHenry.However,thereismuchdebateonthisissue:onePorterbiographerassertsthatthenamewasderivedfromagirlfriend'scat,whichansweredto"Oh,Henry!"GuyDavenport,meanwhile,wrotethatthenamewasacondensationof"OhioPenitentiary".ItalsocouldbeanabbreviationofthenameofFrenchpharmacist,Etienne-OssianHenry,whoisreferredtointheU.S.Dispensatory,areferenceworkPorterusedwhenhewasintheprisonpharmacy.Furtherconfusingtheissueisthatforatleastoneshortstory,andforalaterautobiographicalauthorprofile,Portersignedthe"full"nameOlivierHenry.

　　Porteralsousedanumberofothernomsdeplume,mostnotably"Alex,Longford",andcontinuedusingavarietyofpennamesfull-timewhe