J. W. Schutz
Joseph Willard Schutz, born on May 8, 1912, near Seattle, Washington, was a notable figure whose life intertwined with significant historical events. His father, a German engineer, tragically died during a revolution in Ecuador, leading his pregnant mother to return to the U.S., where Schutz was born in U.S. territorial waters, securing his citizenship. He pursued a degree in science and later entered the U.S. Diplomatic Service, where he graduated from the Counter-Insurgency School. Schutz's World War II experiences in Europe led him to meet his future wife, Colette Liliane Isabelle Marguerite, a chemical engineer, in Versailles, France, shortly before the war's end. They married in Berlin in 1947, navigating a complex series of ceremonies due to the political landscape at the time. Schutz's family life included one son, William Peter Schutz, who eventually changed his name to William Pierre Thayer. While serving in West Africa, he began writing science fiction, publishing his first short story in 1965, followed by two adventure novels. Schutz passed away in December 1984 in Orlando, Florida, leaving behind a legacy that reflects both his diplomatic career and literary contributions.
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J. W. Schutz
Writer
- Born: May 8, 1912
- Birthplace: near Seattle, Washington
- Died: December 1, 1984
- Place of death: Orlando, Florida
Biography
Joseph Willard Schutz was born on May 8, 1912, near Seattle, Washington. His father was a German engineer who had been working on railroads in South America. His mother had been the leader of a dance troupe under the stage name of Désirée Lubovska, despite having neither French nor Russian blood. Her real name was Winniefred Foote.
Schutz’s father died during a revolution in Ecuador, either of illness or of gunshots, depending upon the version of the story. His pregnant widow then headed home to the United States, but did not quite make it to Seattle before giving birth. However, since she was in U.S. territorial waters, the child was considered to be a natural-born U.S. citizen, which was fortunate for his future choice of career. Schutz received a degree in science before entering the U.S. Diplomatic Service, graduating from the Counter-Insurgency School.
World War II took him to Europe, where he met his wife-to-be, Colette Liliane Isabelle Marguerite, née Boucherle, in Versailles, France, on May 1, 1945. She was a chemical engineer working with the Free French Army who hoped to occupy Berlin. The two were married in Berlin in February of 1947, in four separate ceremonies for the U.S. and French occupation forces, the German civil government, and the church. Satisfying so many different authorities took three days, making the process something of a comedy of errors about which they would laugh and joke in later years, although at the time it was quite frustrating.
Schutz’s new wife had to resign her commission as a captain in the French army and was henceforth a “dependent,” something she deeply resented. At the time, there was simply no possibility for the wife of a member of the diplomatic service to maintain an independent existence: It was simply expected that she would become a full-time homemaker and devote her energies to supporting her husband’s career. They had one son, William Peter Schutz, who would later change his name to William Pierre Thayer on the basis that his original German surname sounded ugly and people persistently wanted to respell it “Schultz” with an “l” that did not belong.
J. W. Schutz started writing science fiction almost by accident, bored and looking for something to do while assigned to an unusually quiet post in West Africa. His first short story, “Maiden Voyage,” was published in 1965 by Fantasy and Science Fiction. In addition to his various short stories, he published two adventure novels, People of the Rings and The Moon Microbe, both of which came out through a British publisher. Schutz died in Orlando, Florida, in December of 1984.