Rex Stout is an American Mystery writer who has written multiple books. Most of them were set in the state of New York. He was born in Noblesville, Indiana in 1886 but later on his parents moved the family of nine children to Kansas. Being a teacher, Stout’s father inspired him to read and by the time he was four years old, he had read the entire bible. Stout went to Topeka High School, Kansas, and later the University of Kansas, Lawrence. He worked in the Navy in US between 1906 and 1908 and afterwards for the next four years, he worked at several jobs including one at a cigar store.

Rex was appointed to the board of American Civil Liberties Union in 1952 and served one term. While there he assisted in beginning the Marxist Magazine. He also founded and later served as president at Vanguard Press, from 1926 to 1928 then as its vice president until 1931. Being a renowned Murder Mystery author, several of his books went on to be adapted for film, radio and television. He was head of Writers’ War Board at the time of the second world war, a radio celebrity and later on actively promoted world federalism. He was also president of the Authors Guild and of the Mystery Writers of America. He ultimately received the Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award in 1959.