francis halsey prepared for college at the unadilla academy and graduated from cornell university in 1873, taking one of the prizes for an essay in english literature. he was assistant editor of the binghamton times (1873–1875), a member of the editorial staff of the "new york tribune" (1875–1880), and in 1880 joined the staff of "the new york times" as foreign editor and writer of book reviews. he was literary editor of the "times" from 1892 through 1896, and became the first editor of the "times saturday review of books and art" in 1896. in 1902, he left the "review" to become a literary advisor to d. appleton & company. subsequently, he joined funk and wagnalls in the same capacity, remaining with that publisher until his death.