Samuel Woolley Taylor was born February 5, 1907 in Provo, Utah, the son of John Taylor, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‐day Saints. He attended Brigham Young University studying journalism where he became editor of the student newspaper. After six suspensions he dropped out, then moved to Redwood City, California, with his new wife in 1934. Taylor's first novel, The Man With My Face, appeared in 1948. He went on to write another crime novel before becoming a scriptwriter. Taylor was also the author of two short stories on which the Disney movies The Absent‐Minded Professor (1961) and Son of Flubber (1963) were based. In later years he wrote many Mormon‐related histories. Taylor died September 26, 1997, at age 90.