Scarry, Richard, Jr. (Huck)

Richard McClure Scarry was born June 5, 1919, in Boston, Massachussetts . Although an avid reader and artist as a child, Scarry was a lackluster student. After a failed attempt at business school, Scarry enrolled in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts School in 1939, but left the course unfinished when he was drafted in 1942.

The Army enrolled Scarry in Radio Repair School, but was soon tapped by his commanding officer to paint a sign. He completed Officer Candidate School and was later trained in Special Services, a unit dedicated to military morale and entertainment. From there, Scarry was assigned to the Information and Morale Section, Allied Forces Headquarters in North Africa as art director and promoted to Captain. There he published a newsletter for soldiers.

Scarry was discharged from the Army in March, 1946, and moved to New York City. After taking and leaving two jobs (one for in the art department of Vogue and the other at an advertising agency), Scarry became a free-lancer. During this time, he met Patricia (Patsy) Murphy, and married her in September, 1948.

In 1948, when Scarry's agent suggested he create a portfolio of illustrations for children's books, Scarry was offered and accepted a one-year renewable contract with Artists and Writers, a subsidiary of Western Publishing and Simon and Schuster, to create artwork for Golden storybooks and Little Golden Books. During 1949, Artists and Writers published six books with Scarry's illustrations.

In 1950, the Scarrys moved to Ridgefield, Connecticut, but their social network remained chiefly in New York City. In January, 1953, Richard Scarry, Jr., called Huck by his family and friends, was born.

Scarry's contract with Artists and Writers was renewed, and in 1951, Simon and Schuster published The Great Big Car and Truck Book, which Scarry both wrote and illustrated. In 1952, Artists and Writers offered him an exclusive contract until 1956. At the same time, Patsy Scarry began to write children's books, which Scarry illustrated. In 1955, Scarry negotiated new terms with Artists and Writers, which allowed him individual book contracts and royalties from his work. He continued to illustrate Little Golden books throughout the 1950s.

In 1959, the Scarry family bought a house in Westport, Connecticut, and attracted a wide circle of artistic and publishing friends. Because of monetary problems, Scarry sought work with other publishers, and began to publish the Tinker and Tanker series with Doubleday in 1960. Meanwhile, Scarry began to create what became Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever (1963). Its success engendered Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy World (1965) and Richard Scarry's Storybook Dictionary (1966).

[Note: This biography condenses the information found in The Busy, Busy World of Richard Scarry, which provides a very extensive and detailed biography (pages 9-120).

From the guide to the Richard Scarry Papers, undated, 1946-1997., (Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries)