William E. Vaughan
Encyclopedia
William E. Vaughan (October 8, 1915 – February 25, 1977) was an American
columnist
and author
. Born in Saint Louis, Missouri, he wrote a syndicated column for the Kansas City Star from 1946 until his death in 1977. He was published in Reader's Digest
and Better Homes and Gardens
under the pseudonym
Burton Hillis. He attended Washington University in St. Louis
.
His folksy aphorisms (published in his "Starbeams" feature) are often collected in books and on Internet
sites. Bill Vaughan died at age 61 of lung cancer
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. Born in Saint Louis, Missouri, he wrote a syndicated column for the Kansas City Star from 1946 until his death in 1977. He was published in Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
and Better Homes and Gardens
Better Homes and Gardens (magazine)
Better Homes and Gardens is the fourth best selling magazine in the United States. The editor in Chief is Gayle Butler. Better Homes and Gardens focuses on interests regarding homes, cooking, gardening, crafts, healthy living, decorating, and entertaining. The magazine is published 12 times per...
under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Burton Hillis. He attended Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
.
His folksy aphorisms (published in his "Starbeams" feature) are often collected in books and on Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
sites. Bill Vaughan died at age 61 of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
.
Quotations
- "A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works."
- "Size isn't everything. The whale is endangered, while the ant continues to do just fine."
- "A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won't cross the street to vote in a national election."
- "If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist, it's another nonconformist who doesn't conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity."
- "Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them."
- "It might be a good idea if the various countries of the world would occasionally swap history books, just to see what other people are doing with the same set of facts."
- "An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves."
- "Economists report that a college education adds many thousands of dollars to a man's lifetime income--which he then spends sending his son to college."
- "The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a family all wrapped up in each other."
- "Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to!"