born March 14, 1916, Wharton, Texas, U.S.
U.S. dramatist.
He studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse in California and in New York City. He is probably best known for his screenplays for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, Academy Award) and Tender Mercies (1983, Academy Award). He also wrote an acclaimed series of nine plays about rural Texas, the "Orphans' Home" Cycle; these include Valentine's Day (1980), 1918 (1982), and The Widow Claire (1986). His low-key but insightful play The Young Man from Atlanta (1994) won the Pulitzer Prize.