Oursler, Will, 1913-1985

Will Oursler (1913-1985) was an American author, lecturer and radio commentator. He was the son of noted novelist Fulton Oursler, and is best known for his novel N.Y. N.Y. (1954) and for his non-fiction Father Flanagan of Boys' Town (1949), which was made into a movie starring Spencer Tracy.

Oursler was born July 12, 1913, in Baltimore, Maryland, but grew up and attended schools in New York City. At first Oursler wanted to become an artist, and to that end he attended the Art Students' League in New York City. However, he decided to complete college and graduated cum laude from Harvard in 1937. After graduation, Oursler worked on the staffs of various Boston newspapers and began writing mystery novels. His first book, The Trial of Vincent Doon, was published in 1941, followed by Folio on Florence White in 1942. He also wrote under the names Gale Gallagher and Nick Marino.

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