Ken Purdy
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Ken Purdy (born 1913, died 1972) is considered by some in his profession as one of America's greatest automotive writers and editors.
Purdy was born in Chicago in 1913, and raised mostly in Auburn, N.Y., by his mother after his father, songwriter W.T. Purdy ("On, Wisconsin") died when Ken was only six. Ken graduated in 1934 from the University of Wisconsin. Soon after, he got his first newspaper job with the Athol, Mass., Daily News. From there he went to Oshkosh, Wis., to the Chicago Radio Guide, to associate editor of Look; and to the Office of War Information as editor of Victory during World War II. He was an editor at Parade, Car and Driver, Argosy (magazine) and True between the late 40's and mid 50's.
Purdy's main interest just happened to be autos and the people who drove them. Among other things, he produced 35 short stories and scores of automotive pieces for Playboy. He won Playboy's annual writers' award three times. His Kings of the Road, published in 1949, is still a landmark.
Purdy died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on June 7, 1972 in Wilton, CT.[1] [2]
The International Motor Press Association presents the annual Ken W. Purdy Award to a writer for an outstanding body of work or a specific piece of work that deals with the automotive world.
