Garis, Roger, 1901-1967

Roger Carroll Garis (1901-1967) was an American author and journalist. Over his career he wrote books for both children and adults as well as plays, short stories, and newspaper articles. His father, Howard R. Garis, was the author of the Uncle Wiggily stories and his mother, Lilian C. McNamara Garis, wrote books for girls.

Born September 10, 1901 in Newark, New Jersey, Roger Garis was educated at St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey, attended Princeton and Columbia Universities and graduated from New Jersey Law School with an LLB degree.

After serving a law clerkship, 1924-1925, Mr. Garis began his writing career by working for the Edward L. Stratemeyer syndicate specializing in books for boys, and soon began freelance writing of short stories for such magazines as Colliers, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, The American Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post and Liberty . He was a member of the staff of the Newark, New Jersey, Evening News from 1930-1935 and a special writer for the Waterbury, Connecticut, Republican . For the latter paper, he covered the Waterbury Conspiracy Trial which won the paper the Pulitzer Prize of 1939. He also served on the staff of the New York Times Magazine and was the author of plays and television dramas. During World War II, he was head head publications editor for the Office of War Information.

Mr. Garis was the author of Never Take Candy From a Stranger (1960) and My Father Was Uncle Wiggily (1966). His play The Pony Cart was produced in London and New York (1954-1960).

Mr. Garis's 1937 marriage to Adine Haviland was dissolved and in 1941, he married Mabel Robinson Burns. Of this marriage, there were three children: Leslie Ann, Roger Brooks, and Howard John. Mr. Garis and his family resided at Amherst, Massachusetts, at the time of his death on October 3, 1967.

From the guide to the Roger Garis Papers, 1855-1965, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)