Montgomery, Rutherford G. (Rutherford George), 1896-1985

Rutherford George Montgomery (Apr. 12, 1894-July 3, 1985) was born in Straubville, N.D. to George Y. and Matilda (Proctor) Montgomery. He married Eunice Opal Kirks on Feb. 14, 1930. They had three children: Earl, Polly Montgomery Hecathorn, and Marylin Montgomery Fitch. Montgomery attended school at Colorado Agricultural College, Western State College of Colorado and the University of Nebraska. Montgomery was a teacher at Hot Springs Elementary School in Hot Springs, Wyo. from 1915 to 1917, before leaving to serve in the U.S. Army Air Corps until 1919. He then went back into education as a teacher and principal at Delta County High Schools in Cedar Ridge, Colo. from 1921 to 1924, and as principal at Montrose County Junior High School in Montrose, Colo. from 1924 to 1928. Montgomery served as Gunnison County, Colo., judge from 1931 to 1936 and as budget commissioner from 1932 to 1938. He then spent several years in the literary world, as a freelance writer of children's books from 1939 on, and as a ghost writer for the Dick Tracy series from 1941 to 1946; some of his works were written under the pseudonyms Al Avery and Everitt Proctor. He taught creative writing at Los Gatos, Calif. from 1955 to 1957 before becoming a writer for Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Calif., where he stayed until 1962. He was a member of the Society of Authors, Western Writers of America and Writers Guild of America West.

From the description of Rutherford Montgomery papers, 1931-1973 (University of Oregon Libraries). WorldCat record id: 163572026

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