Roland Gammon

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Roland I. Gammon (November 17, 1915 – April 8, 1981) was an American writer, publicist, and founder of World Authors, Ltd.

Roland I. Gammon
BornNovember 17, 1915
Caribou, Maine
DiedApril 8, 1981(1981-04-08) (aged 65)
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)writer
publicist
founder of World Authors, Ltd.
Notable work
  • Truth Is One
  • The Story of the World's Great Living Religions in Pictures and Text
  • All Believers Are Brothers
  • Faith Is a Star
  • A God For Modern Man
  • Nirvana Now
Parents
  • Charles C. Gammon (father)
  • Helen Fern (mother)

Early life[edit]

Roland Irvine Gammon was born on November 17, 1915, to Charles C. Gammon and Helen Fern (Irvine) Gammon in Caribou, Maine.[1] Charles Gammon worked as a druggist in Caribou,[2] but his ancestors had lived in Canada for multiple generations.[3] Roland Gammon resided in Caribou until he entered Colby College about 1933[4] and after graduation continued his studies at Oxford University.[5][6]

Career in Writing[edit]

By the time he joined the military during World War II he listed his occupation as writer.[7] He served with the United States Air Corps,[5] and after the war became a reporter for Time-Life.[5] He married Jean Thompson in 1947 and was divorced in 1960.[6] Jean was described as a "women's representative" for Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) and wrote travel brochures under the name "Sally Ann Simpson."[8]

Religious Writings[edit]

In 1954 he co-authored with Henry James Forman the book Truth Is One; The Story of the World's Great Living Religions in Pictures and Text.[9]

In the 1960s and 1970s, Gammon devoted increasing amounts of time to writing, resulting in four more books on religion: All Believers Are Brothers,[10] Faith Is a Star,[11] A God For Modern Man.[12] and Nirvana Now,[13] Nirvana Now was seven years in preparation and was his final work.[14]

New York City[edit]

In the 1950s, Gammon was part of a publicity team in mid-town Manhattan, whose clients included Joseph P. Kennedy and his son, Senator John F. Kennedy. Gammon was president of Editorial Communications Inc.[5] He was also past president of the Fourth Universalist Church in New York City and dean of its all-faith chapel.[5] Notable contacts in Gammon's life as a writer included Walt Disney[15] and Albert Schweitzer, the latter assisted by Gammon in preparing a statement of his philosophy just weeks before his death in 1965.[16] Near the end of his life he founded World Authors Ltd.[5]

Philosophy of life[edit]

Gammon was clearly religious and had worked out his philosophy of life, as quoted in a newspaper article announcing his death.

Because in my view, there is no separation in death, I feel that death is a part of life and that life continues as the divine adventure. . . In reality, life and death are one [and but] different aspects of harmony and happiness.[17]

Gammon reportedly collapsed and died on April 8, 1981, near his residence in Manhattan.[5] He was 65.[5][17]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Ancestry.com. Maine, Birth Records, 1621–1922 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010". Ancestry. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  2. ^ "Portrait in the 1800s". Aroostook Republican and News. July 17, 1974.
  3. ^ "Johnson Jr. Family Tree". Ancestry.com. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  4. ^ Ancestry.com. "U.S. School Yearbooks [database on-line]. Provo, UT". Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Roland I. Gammons, 86, Lecturer and Author of Books on Religion". The New York Times. April 14, 1981.
  6. ^ a b "Roland I. Gammon". Contemporary Authors. Gale Literary Dayabases. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  7. ^ "National Archives and Records Administration. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938–1946 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA". Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  8. ^ "Traveler Enjoys Shopping in Russia". Oregonian. September 5, 1956. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  9. ^ Forman, Henry James & Roland Gammon (1954). Truth is One: the Story of the World's Great Living Religions in Pictures and Text. New York: Harper & Bros.
  10. ^ Gammon, Roland (1969). All Believers are Brothers. New York, NY: Doubleday.
  11. ^ Gammon, Roland (1963). Faith is a Star. E. P. Dutton.
  12. ^ Gammon, Roland (1968). A God For Modern Man. New York: Sayre Ross Co.
  13. ^ Gammon, Roland (1980). Nirvana Now. New York, NY: World Authors.
  14. ^ Smith, Margaret (December 22, 1980). "'Nirvana Now' Relates Spiritual Odyssey, Life of Caribou Native". Bangor Daily News.
  15. ^ "Walt Disney Quotes". Disneydreamer.com. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  16. ^ Schweitzer, Albert. "Schweitzer's Struggle to Find Life's Meaning". Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  17. ^ a b Smith, Margaret (April 11–12, 1981). "Author Roland Gammon Stressed Brotherhood". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
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