Henry Stanislaus Spalding was born in January 1865, the fifth of eleven children of William and Isabel Spalding of Bardstown, Kentucky-six of whom eventually entered the religious life. The Spaldings themselves came from a long line of devout Catholics who were among the early settlers of the Colony of Maryland, and could count among their family relations not one, but two bishops: The Most Reverend Martin John Spalding, Archbishop of Baltimore and The Most Reverend John Lancaster Spalding, first Bishop of Peoria. As a Jesuit priest, Spalding taught at Creighton, Marquette and Loyola Universities, helped establish the Medical schools of the last two, and wrote or edited seven books on ethics and sociology. However, he is best known for his adventure stories, which captured the imagination of a generation of readers. (bio of Rev. Henry S. Spalding copyright 2016 by St. Augustine Academy Press)