A writer, editor, and illustrator, Meglin taught art at New York’s School of Visual Arts. But he spent just about his entire career at one magazine, starting in 1956, and what a magazine: MAD. While he rarely had a byline in the magazine, he was first listed in the masthead as the guy who gave them “Ideas”. … Read more
From This is True for 3 June 2018
Beginning his career as a high school English teacher, and then moving to the junior high school level, after a decade Peck was disillusioned: he said that teaching had devolved into something “that looked weirdly like psychiatric social work,” and decided he could reach more kids that age, and teach them more, by being a … Read more
From This is True for 27 May 2018
A graphic designer, Gold had a specialty: movie posters. His first was for Jimmy Cagney’s Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), and the last was for Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar (2011). In a 70-year span, Gold created thousands of film posters. Such posters were mostly made to display “Coming Attractions” at movie theaters, but their artwork is so iconic, and … Read more
From This is True for 20 May 2018
As a boy, something caught Falkow’s attention. “Somehow I discovered the public library and happened on a book called ‘Microbe Hunters’ by Paul de Kruif,” he said, which “describes in colorful detail the microbe hunters Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch, Paul Ehrlich, Élie Metchnikoff, and others, who showed that microbes could cause disease.” The scientists in … Read more
From This is True for 13 May 2018
“I really didn’t make an informed decision” about what to study, Thorp said. “I was told since I was good at math and physics I should be an engineer.” So at 17 years old, he chose the best scholarship offer — from Cornell University — and studied electrical engineering there, earning his bachelor’s, master’s, and … Read more
From This is True for 6 May 2018
After literally starting in the mail room at Columbia Pictures, Witt rose to be a highly regarded TV and film director, and then producer. You’ve seen his name many times, usually in the form “Witt/Thomas” in the credits — the name of his production company with partner Tony Thomas (son of Danny Thomas), and then … Read more
From This is True for 29 April 2018
Her father was a surgeon, but died when she was a toddler. Hamburg wanted to be a doctor too, but didn’t think she would be able to, only in part due to being a female born in 1923. As she was nearing college age, of the “Seven Sisters” — the elite women’s colleges in the … Read more
From This is True for 22 April 2018
A reporter, Lawn covered the White House. Unlike most members of the White House Press Corps., she didn’t work for a major newspaper or broadcaster: she worked for “Audio Video News” — which had one owner, and one employee: herself. She then provided reports to other news organizations which couldn’t afford, or didn’t want to, … Read more
From This is True for 8 April 2018
Growing up, Holland’s father was a judge, and had heart disease, so he decided to become a doctor to help people with heart problems. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1949 to 1951, and New York’s Presbyterian Hospital, which had offered him a position, rescinded the offer because Holland’s … Read more
From This is True for 1 April 2018
As a soldier in the French army, Beltrame served in Iraq and was made a Knight of the National Order of Merit, and was decorated with the Cross for Military Valour. After his army service, he became a policeman, and rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel in the French National Gendarmerie — a branch … Read more
From This is True for 25 March 2018