Jay Williams was an American author born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Max and Lillian Jacobson. He cited the experience of growing up as the son of a vaudeville show producer as leading him to pursue his acting career as early as college. Between 1931 and 1934 he attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University where he took part in amateur theatrical productions. Out of school and out of work during the end of the Depression, he worked as a comedian on the upstate New York Borscht Belt circuit. From 1936 until 1941, Jay Williams worked as a press agent for Dwight Deere Winman, Jed Harris and the Hollywood Theatre Alliance. And even though he played a feature role in the Cannes prize winning film, Little Fugitive produced in 1953, he turned his attention to writing as a full-time career after his discharge from the Army in 1945. He was the recipient of the Purple Heart. While serving in the Army he published his first book, The Stolen Oracle, in 1943. Williams may be best known for his young adult "Danny Dunn" science fiction/fantasy series which he co-authored with Raymond Abrashkin. [More at Wikipedia]

May 31st, 1914 in Buffalo  /  Died:   Jul 12th, 1978