Roy Hoopes (May 17, 1922 – December 8, 2009) was an American journalist, writer, and biographer who wrote the official biographies of James M. Cain and Ralph Ingersoll.[1]
Roy Hoopes was born on May 17, 1922, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Roy and Lydia Hoopes. After active duty in WWII in the Naval Reserves, he attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., completing his A.B. in 1943 and M.A. in 1948. He worked as a writer and editor for various magazines in D.C., including The Washingtonian, Path-finder, High Fidelity, Democratic Digest Playboy, and National Geographic. From 1957-1977 he also had a weekly newspaper column for the Berkshire Eagle under the false name Peter Potomac. He was a member of the Oral History Association and the National Press Club.[2]
Hoopes wrote and co-wrote over 30 works of fiction and non-fiction. His most notable works include his biographies of James M. Cain, for which he won the Edgar Award in 1984, and Ralph Ingersoll, he also wrote novels and nonfiction about the Peace Corps, the steel industry, politics, sports, and Hollywood.
Roy Hoopes died of pneumonia on December 8, 2009, at age 87.[3]
