Born on 21 April 1860 in Nantucket, Massachusetts, he was the son of a clergyman in a home that looked askance on playing cards!.
Moving to Baltimore, he taught mathematics at Johns Hopkins University (1884–85) and in two private schools, also becoming the amateur chess champion of that city.
In July 1903, he became assistant in the National Almanac Office of the U.S. Navy in Washington DC, a position he held until his death in 1907.
[5] Howell contributed greatly to The Whist Reference Book[6] of 1898 and is quoted as one of the authorities on the short suit game.
[9] In duplicate bridge, there are two principal schemes for rotating the position of the players and the boards: At least four books by Howell are available, three republished in recent years:[16][17]