Hugh Jones Parry (March 10, 1916December 3, 1997) was a British-born American writer and sociologist. He wrote fiction as James Cross. Hugh Jones Parry was born on March 10, 1916, in London, to Jane Myfanwy (Jones) and John Parry. The family came to the United States in 1919, moving to Scarsdale, New York. He received a bachelor's degree from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

in 1937, a master's from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1939, and a PhD from the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

in 1949. Parry was in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

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 ...

, stationed in the

Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a cha ...

. He then worked in military intelligence and as a researcher in several diplomatic positions. In 1958, he became a researcher at the

United States Information Agency The United States Information Agency (USIA), which operated from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, prior to the reorganization of intelligence agencies by President George W. Bush, President Bill C ...

in Washington, D.C. Parry was an assistant professor of sociology and social psychology at the

University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private university, private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Mountain States, Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is ...

from 1947 to 1949. As of 1967, he taught sociology at

George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...

, where he worked at the Social Research Group. While teaching, he wrote thrillers and short stories as James Cross, some of which drew on his time as an intelligence operative. He retired in 1982. Parry died on December 3, 1997, at

Sibley Memorial Hospital Sibley Memorial Hospital is a non-profit hospital located in The Palisades neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and is licensed by the District of Columbia De ...

in Washington, D.C.

Publications

* ''Root of Evil'' (1957) * ''The Dark Road'' (1959) * ''The Grave of Heroes'' (1961) * ''To Hell for Half a Crown'' (1967) * ''The Doll-House'' (1967, short story), in

Dangerous Visions ''Dangerous Visions'' is a science fiction short story anthology edited by American writer Harlan Ellison and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. It was published in 1967. A path-breaking collection, ''Dangerous Visions'' helped define the New ...

References

1916 births 1997 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers American sociologists Columbia University alumni George Washington University faculty University of Denver faculty University of Southern California alumni Yale College alumni {{US-novelist-1910s-stub