Richard B. Gehman

Richard Gehman was a journalist, biographer, and freelance writer. Born in Lancaster Pa. on May 20, 1921, Gehman attended local public schools and graduated from McCaskey High School in 1938. Prior to his graduation, he worked for Lancaster's two major newspapers, the "Sunday News" and the "Intelligencer Journal." From his graduation until 1942, Gehman worked as a reporter for the "Lancaster New Era" and the "Philadelphia Record." In 1942, he was drafted into the United States Army and was stationed at the military base in Oak Ridge, Tenn. He edited the base's newspaper, the "Oak Ridge Journal," from 1943 until the close of the war. Following the war, Gehman moved to New York and began working for the magazines "Good Housekeeping" and "Cosmopolitan." Within a few years, he chose to become a freelance writer, contributing articles to numerous magazines including "Newsweek," "Look," and the "Saturday Evening Post." During the 1950's and 1960's, he published over 3,000 articles, wrote 5 novels and a dozen nonfiction books. He also taught writing classes at several major universities including New York University, Columbia University, and Indiana University. By the late 1960's, he had become known by his peers as the "King of the Freelance Writers." During the 1970's, demand for his articles waned and, before his death, had practically ceased. He spent his final years in Lancaster, financially bankrupt and emotionally troubled over his declining popularity. He died on May 12, 1972.