'''Washington Irving''' (1783-1859) was a nineteenth -century [[American]] diplomat
<ref>He had been a competent secretary and ''chargé d'affaires'' of the American Legation in London from 1829 to 1832 and a skillful and shrewd Minister to Spain from 1842 to 1846. (Austin McC. Fox, Introduction to ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and other selection from Washington Irving'', Simon & Schuster, 1962) </ref>
and fiction writer, best known for his story ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' and the shorter ''Rip Van Winkle''.
He has been called the "Father of the short story"Short Story. " He was "first among American writers to obtain universal recognition abroad." <ref>[http://www.bibliomania.com/2/3/270/1820/21941/1/frameset.html Washington Irving], Bibliomania</ref>When he was 26, his 17-year-old fiancee fiancée died. <ref>[http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/wirving.htm Washington Irving], Books and Writers</ref>
He spent 17 years in Europe. <ref>[http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/HNS/Indians/irving.html Washington Irving]. Excerpted from ''White on Red'', Eds. Black, Nancy B. and Bette S. Wiedman, New York; Kennikat Press, 1976.</ref>