Horton the Speck Voice was Talking

Prior to introducing his iconic elephant in the 1940 book, Horton Hatches the Egg, Dr. Seuss had labored over the name choice. First called Osmere, then Bosco, then Humphrey, Ted finally chose Horton after his Dartmouth classmate, Horton Conrad. In the fall of 1953 Ted began work on Horton Hears a Who! Horton’s seminal proclamations: “I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful one hundred percent.” and “a person’s a person no matter how small,” would forever define his character. To this day, Horton remains a lasting symbol of loyalty, equality, and faithfulness.