Stephen Morehouse Avery

Stephen Morehouse Avery was born in Webster Grove, Missouri, the middle of three sons born to Charles M. and Jessie Avery. Both his parents were native Missourians and had married in 1890. Stephen's father supported his family working as a cashier at a local office of a life insurance company. Avery attended the University of Missouri and later worked for the Hyatt Roller Bearing Company in Detroit before embarking on his writing career. In time Avery became a prolific contributor of short stories to a number of popular magazines and newspapers of that time. In 1933 Hollywood beckoned and in a short while he became known as a successful scenario writer. During the Second World War Avery served with the US Army Air Corp as an intelligence officer and was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained while stationed in North Africa Stephen Morehouse Avery died of a heart attack on 10 February, 1948, at his Los Angeles apartment. He was survived by his wife Marian and daughter Phyllis Avery.