John Dann MacDonald, a renowned author, was born on July 24, 1916, in Sharon, Pennsylvania.
He served in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in the far east during World War Two.
While still in the military, MacDonald wrote a short story and mailed it to his wife, simply for her entertainment.
Unbeknownst to him, his wife submitted the story to the magazine "Story", and it was accepted, launching a writing career that spanned over 40 years.
MacDonald is best known for his series of detective-style novels featuring Travis McGee, a unique character with a twist on the traditional hard-boiled detective.
Travis McGee was not a licensed private investigator and typically agreed to recover something of value for a friend or a friend of a friend, with his fee being one-half the value of the object.
MacDonald's educational background included enrollment at the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dropped out during his sophomore year.
He later completed his studies at Syracuse University, graduating in 1938, and went on to receive a Master's in Business Administration from Harvard University in 1939.
During his time at Syracuse, he met Dorothy Prentiss, and the two married in 1937, having one son together.
At the age of 70, John D. MacDonald traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in December 1986 to undergo heart surgery.
Sadly, he passed away on December 28th, 1986, at a hospital in Milwaukee, and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum.
