Contents
Dale Wimbrow
Writing “The Man in the Glass”, originally titled “The Guy in the Glass”.
Songwriting · Early radio · The Indian River News
- Born
- 6 June 1895
- Birthplace
- Whaleyville, Maryland, United States
- Died
- 26 January 1954
More people
Dale Wimbrow
Dale Wimbrow was an American poet, songwriter and radio performer. His enduring poem about honesty and self-respect became widely known as “The Man in the Glass”. Before its publication, he had built a career singing, playing the ukulele and writing songs as “Delmarva’s Songster”.
Early life
Maryland origins
Born Peter Dale Wimbrow in Whaleyville, Maryland, on 6 June 1895. The Eastern Shore remained an important subject of his music.
Wartime experience
Salisbury University’s account records that he enlisted during the First World War and suffered a serious mustard-gas injury that influenced his subsequent career.
Career
- 1920s
Records and radio
Worked as a singer, songwriter and ukulele player during the early years of national radio. His regional identity was central to his reputation as “Delmarva’s Songster”.
- 1931
Verse in print
Published A Sardine and a Cracker, bringing his writing into book form.
- 1934
The poem in The American Magazine
The Guy in the Glass appeared in The American Magazine. His son later reaffirmed its authorship and original title as altered titles and anonymous versions circulated.
- 1948
A local newspaper
Established the Indian River News in Florida. The paper continued under his wife after his death.
Selected work
A Sardine and a Cracker
A collection of verse published by Washburn Printing Company, preceding the poem that became his best-known work.
The Guy in the Glass
Also known as “The Man in the Glass” and “The Man in the Mirror”. The poem measures success against personal integrity: public praise cannot replace an honest judgment of oneself.
The Good Old Eastern Shore
A song celebrating the Eastern Shore, recorded in 1928. It formed part of the regional repertoire later studied by Salisbury University researchers.
Beyond work
Family and final years
Married radio writer and producer Dorothy Livezy; they had two children. He died in Sebastian, Florida, on 26 January 1954 and was buried in Whaleyville.
A continuing musical legacy
In 2019, Salisbury University announced a lecture and performance devoted to his Eastern Shore songs, drawing on more than a year of research. The programme also advertised an instrument he designed and participation by his descendants.
Sources & photo credit
Salisbury University — research into Wimbrow’s music and radio career ↗Peter Dale Wimbrow Jr. — authorship statement reproduced by New Age Multimedia ↗Alpha Chi Rho Educational Foundation — 2016 annual report ↗Dale Wimbrow — biographical overview and bibliography ↗Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
Photo: Photographer unidentified; photograph published by Salisbury University. Rights not specified by source · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.