Irwin R. Blacker (1919-1985) was an American author during the twentieth century. He was born in Cleveland and earned a Ph.D. from Case-Western Reserve in 1983. Blacker wrote a number of novels between the 1950s and 1970s, including "Westering" (1958), "Taos" (1959), "Standing on a Drum" (1968), and "The Middle of the Fire" (1971). He also wrote a number of non-fiction works, including "Behind the Lines: Twenty-Eight Stories of Irregular Warfare" (1956), "The Old West in Fact" (1961), "Cortez and the Aztec Conquest" (1965), and "The Elements of Screenwriting: A Guide for Film and Television Writers" (1986). In addition to his books, Blacker wrote scripts for the western television shows "Bonanza" (1959) and "The Virginian" (1962). He also wrote the screenplay for the motion picture "Brush Fire" (1962). From 1961 to 1977, Blacker was a professor of cinema at the University of Southern California.
From the guide to the Irwin R. Blacker papers, 1829-1986 (bulk 1900-1986), (University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.)
Biographical/Historical Note
Technical sergeant, United States Army Corps of Engineers.
From the guide to the Irwin R. Blacker papers, 1943-1944, (Hoover Institution Archives)
