James Playsted Wood (AC 1927) Papers

James Playsted Wood was born in Brooklyn, NY. He attended Amherst College from 1924 to 1925 and and went on to graduate from Columbia with an A.B. in 1927 and M.A. in 1933. After teaching in secondary schools, he taught in the English Deptartment at Amherst College from 1937 to 1946. From 1943 to 1946 he served in the US Air Force. He worked at the Curtis Publishing Company from 1946 to 1966 and on the editorial staff of Jack and Jill from 1954 to 1964. From 1957 to 1965 he was an instructor at the Southern Writers Workshop at the University of Georgia. Wood wrote poetry, biographies, fiction and short stories, including works for children. Among his numerous books are: The beckoning hill, Magazines in the United States, The story of advertising, The life and words of John F. Kennedy, Of lasting interest: the story of the Reader’s digest, and Washington, D.C. He died on August 19, 1983.