Roland Gammon

Roland I. Gammon was an American writer, publicist, and founder of World Authors, Ltd.

Early life

Roland Irvine Gammon was born on 17 November 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

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

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

In the 1950s, Gammon was part of a publicity team in mid-town Manhattan, whose clients included Senator John F. Kennedy. Gammon was president Editorial Communications Inc.[5] He was also past president of the 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

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 8 April 1981 near his residence in Manhattan.[5] He was 65.[5][17]

References

  1. ↑ "Ancestry.com. Maine, Birth Records, 1621-1922 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.". Ancestry. Retrieved 7 Jan 2013.
  2. ↑ "Portrait in the 1800s". Aroostook Republican and News. July 17, 1974.
  3. ↑ "Johnson Jr. Family Tree". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  4. ↑ Ancestry.com. "U.S. School Yearbooks [database on-line]. Provo, UT". Retrieved 7 Jan 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Roland I. Gammons, 86, Lecturer and Author of Books on Religion". New York Times. 14 Apr 1981.
  6. 1 2 "Roland I. Gammon". Contemporary Authors. Gale Literary Dayabases. Retrieved 30 Jan 2013.
  7. ↑ "National Archives and Records Administration. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA". Retrieved 7 Jan 2013.
  8. ↑ "Traveler Enjoys Shopping in Russia". Oregonian. 5 Sep 1956. Retrieved 16 Jan 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 (22 Dec 1980). "'Nirvana Now' Relates Spiritual Odyssey, Life of Caribou Native". Bangor Daily News.
  15. ↑ "Walt Disney Quotes". Disneydreamer.com. Retrieved 10 Jan 2013.
  16. ↑ Schweitzer, Albert. "Schweitzer's Struggle to Find Life's Meaning". Retrieved 7 Jan 2013.
  17. 1 2 Smith, Margaret (Apr 11–12, 1981). "Author Roland Gammon Stressed Brotherhood". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 7 Jan 2013.
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