John Hartzell Spence was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 writer and founding editor of Yank, the Army Weekly

Yank, the Army Weekly

Yank, the Army Weekly was a weekly magazine published by the United States military during World War II. The idea for the magazine came from Egbert White, who had worked on Stars and Stripes during World War I. He proposed the idea to the Army in early 1942, and accepted a commission as Lieutenant...

, a weekly magazine published by the United States military during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. He is credited with coining the term "pinup

Pin-up girl

A pin-up girl, also known as a pin-up model, is a model whose mass-produced pictures see wide appeal as popular culture. Pin-ups are intended for informal display, e.g. meant to be "pinned-up" on a wall...

".

Born in Marion, Iowa

Marion, Iowa

Marion is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26,294 at the 2000 census and was estimated at 32,172 in 2007. The city is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...

, he studied journalism at the University of Iowa

University of Iowa

The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

 graduating in 1930. In 1930, he started working with the United Press until World War II when he became editor of Yank.

After World War II, he retired to his farm "Gaston Hall" near Orange, Virginia

Orange, Virginia

Orange is a town in Orange County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,721 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Orange County...

. His book about his farming adventures there, "Happily Ever After" was published in 1949. Also in 1949, he became one of the original stockholders in WJMA Radio http://www.wjma.radiohistory.net in Orange, Virginia.

He wrote the memoir One Foot in Heaven

One Foot in Heaven

One Foot in Heaven is a 1941 American biographical film starring Fredric March, Martha Scott, Beulah Bondi, Gene Lockhart and Elisabeth Fraser.The movie was adapted by Casey Robinson from the autobiography by Hartzell Spence...

which was made into a 1941 film. He also wrote the sequel, Get Thee Behind Me.