Pat Frank
Pat Frank, born Harry Hart Frank on May 5, 1907, in Chicago, Illinois, was an American author and journalist known for his contributions to literature and war reporting during the mid-20th century. After a brief period at the University of Florida, he began his career as a reporter, eventually serving as chief of the Washington bureau for the Overseas News Agency during World War II. Frank transitioned into fiction writing, adopting his pen name and creating notable works like his first novel, *Mr. Adam*, a science fiction satire. His most famous novel, *Alas, Babylon*, explores the aftermath of a nuclear war in a small Florida town and became a bestseller, influencing a generation of readers. While some of his themes may be considered outdated by contemporary standards, his works reflect the anxieties of the Cold War era. In addition to his literary career, Frank was involved in political and governmental consulting and received the American Heritage Award in 1961. He passed away on October 12, 1964, leaving behind a legacy marked by both literary contributions and a nuanced portrayal of wartime experiences.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Pat Frank
Writer
- Born: May 5, 1907
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
- Died: October 12, 1964
- Place of death: Atlantic Beach, Florida
Biography
Harry Hart Frank, better known as Pat Frank, was born on May 5, 1907, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended the University of Florida in Gainesville from 1925 to 1926 before becoming a reporter for the Jacksonville Journal. By World War II, he had become chief of the Washington bureau of the Overseas News Agency and was selling short stories to magazines under the name of Pat Frank. Hart worked for the Office of War Information until he became a war correspondent in 1944, and he ultimately earned a commendation from the War Department. After the war, he began writing as Pat Frank once again and produced novels, short stories, and articles. His first novel, Mr. Adam, is a science fiction satire. It postulates an accident in a nuclear plant that sterilizes every male in the United States, except for one. He then wrote one novel and several short stories about the Korean War. The novel, Hold Back the Night, was based partly on his own experiences on the Italian front during the winter of 1944-1945. It is the story of a Marine officer who carries an unopened bottle of liquor with him into combat but never drinks it because he is saving it for a special occasion. It was adapted into a film in 1956.
Hart served as a member of the United Nations mission to Korea in 1952. His 1956 novel Forbidden Area (originally serialized as Seven Days to Never in The New York Daily News) deals with nuclear warfare, which in this case is averted. However, in his best known work, Alas, Babylon, a nuclear war does take place. Most of the story takes place in a small town in central Florida, where a group of ordinary people come together to survive. It became a best seller and was required reading for a generation of high school students. Contemporary readers, however, may find it both racist and sexist, and some of the scientific background is dated. Both Alas, Babylon and Forbidden Area were adapted into TV dramas as part of the Playhouse Ninety series. Hart served as a member of the Democratic National Committee in 1960 and worked as consultant to the National Aeronautics and Space Council in 1961 and to the Department of Defense from 1963 to 1964. He received the American Heritage Award in 1961. His last book was How to Survive the H-Bomb, and Why, a nonfiction work in which he gives advice on how to survive a nuclear holocaust. He died on October 12, 1964, in Atlantic Beach, Florida. The original typescripts for his novels are now in the Special Collections department of the George A. Smathers Library at the University of Florida.