(1875–1939), US writer, critic, and social reformer. A founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909, he established the Spingarn Medal, given annually to an African American for exceptional achievement, in 1913. He was also a founder of Harcourt, Brace & Co. in 1919 and worked as its literary adviser until 1924.