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Author: Clement Clarke Moore

Clement Clarke Moore (1779–1863) was an American writer and professor. Moore is best known as the author of “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” first published anonymously in 1823 and acknowledged by the author in 1837. (The poem is more commonly known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.”) He was born in New York City to Charity Clarke and Bishop Benjamin Moore, who headed the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Moore went on to earn both his B.A. and M.A. from Columbia College, now Columbia University. He later donated acreage to build the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church. There, he taught Oriental and Greek Literature, as well as Divinity and Biblical Learning.

A Christmas Visit from St. Nicholas

Clement Clarke Moore
More commonly known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” this much-loved poem was published anonymously in the Troy Sentinel (New York) in 1823. By legend, it was composed by Protestant theologian and scholar Clement Clarke Moore (1779–1863) during a sleigh ride on a snowy winter’s day.