Dr. Seuss: The Great American Children's Poet Dr. Seuss is the pseudonym for Theodor Seuss Geisel III, Ted Geisel to his friends. He originally thought of his pen name being pronounced zo-oice which is the German pronunciation. He took his middle name from his mother's maiden name. He was born in 1904 to Theodor Jr. and Henrietta Geisel of Springfiel Massachusetts. Both sets of grandparents were from Germany. Theodor Jr. was a wealthy brewer and tavern owner until the Prohibition. Then he worked as the manager of the Springfield Zoo. Ted also had an older sister named Marnie. He went to college at Dartmouth and graduate scho