Frank O'Rourke (October 16, 1916 – April 27, 1989) was an American writer known for

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

and

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

s and

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

fiction. O'Rourke wrote more than 60 novels and numerous magazine articles. Born in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

, he attended

Kemper Military School Kemper Military School & College was a private military school located in Boonville, Missouri. Founded in 1844, Kemper filed for bankruptcy and closed in 2002. The school's motto was "Nunquam Non Paratus" (Never Not Prepared). The 46-acre cam ...

. A very talented amateur

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

player, he considered trying out for a professional team, but was called up for service in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. By the end of the war he had decided to become a writer; his first novel was ''E Company'' (1945), based in part on his wartime experiences. O'Rourke dedicated the book to

Max Brand Frederick Schiller Faust (May 29, 1892 – May 12, 1944) was an American writer known primarily for his Western stories using the pseudonym Max Brand. He (as Max Brand) also created the popular fictional character of young medical intern D ...

, whom he knew before the war. In the book O'Rourke named a fictional war correspondent Max Hastings after him. Several of O'Rourke's novels were filmed; ''

The Bravados ''The Bravados'' is a 1958 American Western film (color by DeLuxe) directed by Henry King, starring Gregory Peck and Joan Collins. The CinemaScope film was based on a novel of the same name, written by Frank O'Rourke. Plot Jim Douglass ...

'' (1958) was the first, and his novel '' A Mule for the Marquesa'' was made into a popular movie named ''

The Professionals A professional is someone who is skilled in a profession. Professional or professionals may also refer to: * Professional sports Music *The Professionals (band), a British punk rock band formed in 1979 * ''The Professionals'' (The Professionals ...

'' (1966). '' The Great Bank Robbery'' was filmed in 1969. He married artist Edith Carlson. Later in life, O'Rourke turned to writing children's literature. A long-time sufferer of

bronchial asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, coug ...

, and made even more ill by the large doses of steroids he was required to take for control of the ailment, he committed suicide on April 27, 1989. His wife died on May 21, 2007.Obituary: Edith Carlson O"Rourke , Deseret News
July 22, 2007

Notes

Sources

''author and book info.com''

Edith Carlson O'Rourke

References

* O'ROURKE, Frank. ''Contemporary Authors''. 118:361-364. 1986.

External links

* Inventory of th
Frank O'Rourke Papers (Accn 1201)
at the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah
Frank O'Rourke Photograph Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orourke, Frank American crime fiction writers Western (genre) writers 1916 births 1989 deaths 20th-century American novelists American male novelists 20th-century American male writers 1989 suicides