Philip Gordon Wylie

Philip Gordon Wylie (May 12, 1902 – October 25, 1971) was an American author. Born in Beverly, Massachusetts, he was the son of Presbyterian minister Edmund Melville Wylie and the former Edna Edwards, a novelist, who died when Philip was five years old. His family moved to Montclair, New Jersey and he later attended Princeton University from 1920–1923. He married Sally Ondek, and had one child, Karen. Karen married Taylor Alderdyce Pryor, who bec... more

Philip Gordon Wylie (May 12, 1902 – October 25, 1971) was an American author. Born in Beverly, Massachusetts, he was the son of Presbyterian minister Edmund Melville Wylie and the former Edna Edwards, a novelist, who died when Philip was five years old. His family moved to Montclair, New Jersey and he later attended Princeton University from 1920–1923. He married Sally Ondek, and had one child, Karen. Karen married Taylor Alderdyce Pryor, who became a Hawaii state senator. Karen became an author, founder of Sea Life Park in Hawaii, and inventor of animal "clicker" training. After a divorce from Sally Ondek, Philip Wylie married Frederica Ballard who was born and raised in Rushford, New York; they are both buried in Rushford. A writer of fiction and nonfiction, his output included hundreds of short stories, articles, serials, syndicated newspaper columns, novels, and works of social criticism. He also wrote screenplays while in Hollywood, was an editor for Farrar & Rinehart, served on... less