William Carey Duncan

William Carey Duncan (6 February 1874 – 21 November 1945) was an American playwright, lyricist, composer, book writer, editor, and educator born in North Brookfield, Massachusetts. His half-brother was James Eaton Tower, a longtime editor of Good Housekeeping. Duncan was educated at Amherst College, from which he graduated in 1897.

Following his graduation, Duncan joined the teaching staff of Brooklyn Polytechnic Preparatory School, now known as Poly Prep Country Day School, in the fall of 1897. He taught English and public speaking at that institution for the next twenty years. He began writing musicals in 1911, and over the course of his career brought fifteen productions to Broadway between 1913 and 1929.

Among his Broadway credits as composer and book writer are the musicals Fiddlers Three, Great Day, His Little Widows, Molly Darling, and Mary Jane McKane. Additional stage works include The Blue Kitten, which was produced in 1922, Yes, Yes, Yvette in 1926, and Sunny Days in 1928.

Beyond the stage, Duncan authored two books: The Amazing Madame Jumel, a biography of Eliza Jumel published in 1935, and Golden Hoofs: The Story of an Amazing Mare, a book about the racehorse Goldsmith Maid, published in 1938.

Duncan was also a dedicated dog enthusiast. He served as president of the Irish Setter Club of America and as a director of the American Kennel Club, and in 1929 he judged at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden. He was married to Louise Duncan, née Van Cleef, with whom he had one son, William Cary Duncan Jr. Duncan died of heart disease on 21 November 1945 at his home in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, at the age of 71.