Frank, Pat, 1907-1964

Pat Frank was born in Chicago in 1907. Before he published his first novel Mr. Adam in 1946, Frank worked for many years as a newspaperman and researcher. His experiences with government and military bureaucracy and the threat of nuclear proliferation gave rise to many insights which came out in his fiction. After the success of Alas, Babylon in 1959, Frank concentrated on writing for magazines and journals, and advising various government bodies. In 1960 he served as a member of the Democratic National Committee. In 1961, the year in which he received an American Heritage Foundation Award, he was consultant to the National Aeronautics and Space Council. From 1963 through 1964 he worked as a consultant to the Department of Defense. He died of pancreatitis in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964.

From the guide to the Pat Frank Papers, 1946-1958, (Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida)

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