Winston Groom

Winston Francis Groom Jr. (March 23, 1943 – September 17, 2020) was an American novelist and non-fiction writer. He is best known for his 1986 novel "Forrest Gump", which was adapted into the popular 1994 film "Forrest Gump" directed by Robert Zemeckis. The film was considered a cultural phenomenon and won six Academy Awards. He published a sequel, "Gump and Co.", in 1995. He also wrote numerous non-fiction works, on diverse subjects including the American Civil War and World War I.
Early life.
Groom was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Ruth (Knudsen) and Winston Francis Groom. He was raised in Mobile County, Alabama, where he attended University Military School (now known as UMS-Wright Preparatory School). Groom's earliest ambition was to become a lawyer like his father; but, instead, while a literary editor in college, he chose to become a writer. Groom attended the University of Alabama, where he became a member of Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity and the Army ROTC, and graduated with Omicron Delta Kappa honors in 1965.
He served in the United States Army from 1965 to 1967, including a tour of duty in the Vietnam War (from 66–67). Most of his service time was spent with the Fourth Infantry Division.
Career.
Upon his return from Vietnam, Groom worked as a reporter for the "Washington Star", a Washington, D. C. newspaper covering the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. federal courts. Groom resigned to pursue a career in writing novels. Groom's first novel was "Better Times Than These" which was published in 1978. "Better Times Than These" was about a rifle company in the Vietnam War whose patriotism and lives are shattered.
His next novel "As Summers Die" (1980) received better recognition. His book "Conversations with the Enemy" (1982) follows an American Vietnam War soldier who escapes from a POW camp and takes a plane back to the United States only to be arrested fourteen years later for desertion. "Conversations with the Enemy" was a Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction finalist in 1984.
In 1985, Groom moved back to Mobile, Alabama, where he began to work on the novel "Forrest Gump". The book had its origins in a story told to Groom by his elderly father about a mentally disabled boy he had known as a child. Groom began writing "Forrest Gump" the same day, and within six weeks the novel was finished. "Forrest Gump" was published in 1986, and was adapted into a 1994 film of the same name starring Tom Hanks in the title role of Forrest Gump. The film propelled the novel to best-seller status, and it sold 1.7 million copies worldwide. However, Paramount Pictures utilized Hollywood accounting to deflate profitability numbers of the film and Groom received no payment for his 3% profit share in it.
In November 2011, Groom introduced his latest history book, "Kearny's March: The Epic Creation of the American West, 1846–1847". Groom describes how Brigadier General Stephen W. Kearny's quest for westward adventure coincides with the expansionist desires of the U.S. President, James K. Polk. Anchored in mid-summer 1846, the context for both the adventures and expansionism is the Texas Annexation, the Mexican–American War, and the backdrop to the American Civil War. Groom weaves into "Kearny's March" mountain man Kit Carson, Brigham Young and his Mormon followers, and members of the Donner party.
In 2016, "El Paso", Groom's first novel in nearly 20years, was published.
Personal life.
Groom was married three times, and was divorced twice. He had one daughter.
Groom, who was 6 feet 6 inches tall, lived in Alabama, and died from a suspected heart attack at his home in Fairhope on September 17, 2020, at age 77.