Frank Merriwell at Yale

Merriwell was the creation of writer Gilbert Patten and embodied a new type of dime novel hero, one who relied as much upon mental as physical prowess. The Yale-educated Merriwell possessed "a body like Tarzan's and a head like Einstein's," wrote one admiring writer, and thus represented "the perfect union of brain and brawn." His academic and athletic exploits formed the subject of many Tip Top Weekly stories, with elements of romance and humor thrown in for good measure.