Max Shulman

Max Shulman (March 14, 1919-August 28, 1988) was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. While studying at the University of Minnesota, his student newspaper column caught the eye of an editor, who offered him a book deal. The resulting Barefoot Boy With Cheek established him as a bestselling humorist. In addition to writing books, Shulman co-wrote the musical The Tender Trap, which was made into a movie starring Frank Sinatra and Debbie Reynolds. He also wrote television scripts. Shulman died in 1988 from bone cancer.

Shulman penned numerous books, including Rally Round the Flag, Boys!, which was also made into a movie starring Paul Newman. Shulman’s character Dobie Gillis, who sprang from the 1951 short story collection The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, became a beloved figure in post-war America. In the early 1960s, there was a television show on CBS based on Dobie Gillis, and Shulman wrote screenplays for it. He also published a novel about Gillis. In addition to stories about Dobie Gillis, Shulman wrote a syndicated humor column called “On Campus,” which circulated to over 350 collegiate newspapers at once.