He was born on May 2, 1863 in Troy, New York to Oscar Edward Van Zile and Sarah Melinda Perry. He was a descendant of Hollanders who came to America in the 17th century. As a boy he read everything he could on every subject. He graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut in 1884. In 1904 the college gave him the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters. In addition to several books and articles, he wrote a libretto for a musical comedy.