Dr. Seuss, author of the classics ‘Green Eggs and Ham,’ ‘Horton Hears a Who!’ and ‘The Cat in the Hat,’ among many others, is one of the more well-known authors to use one.
The story behind the name synonymous for children’s stories may not be quite as good as one of his books, but it’s pretty close!
Theodore Seuss Geisel enrolled in Dartmouth University in the early 1920’s where he joined the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and became a member of the humor magazine Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern, eventually rising to the rank of editor-in-chief.
During his time at Dartmouth, Geisel was caught drinking gin with nine friends in his room. As a result, his dean insisted that he resign from all extracurricular activities, including the college humor magazine.
To get around his ban, he started submitting works signed “Seuss” which he soon changed to “Dr. Suess,” a name he would keep for a long time.
Despite being known for Dr. Seuss, Theodore Geisel had another pen name.
For books that Geisel wrote and others illustrated, he used the pen name "Theo LeSieg," “LeSieg” being "Geisel" spelled backward. One example of this is ‘I Wish That I Had Duck Feet,’ published in 1965.
