The lyricist for Man of La Mancha was born in New York, attended City College and served in the navy during World War II. One of his early lyrics was included in the Broadway revue Of V We Sing (1942). He also wrote songs for Patti Page and Red Buttons and lyrics for Archie and Mehitabel (with Eddie Bracken and Carol Channing and later Ertha Kitt), Galileo, and some operas. The winner of numerous awards including Tonys and Drama Ccritics Circle Awards, the royalties from The Impossible Dream kept him comfortable for the rest of his life. He was working on another musical when he died at age ninety.

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Revised May 2009
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