Trivia

Won the 1934 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the play "Men in White".

From 1935, he (and his wife,the actress Madge Evans) lived in an 18th century house on a 250-acre estate near Oakland.

Studied at Cornell University on a scholarship, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1928. He briefly flirted with the acting profession, before moving to Hollywood to work as a scenario reader for Columbia. For three years, he worked on his first play, "Men in White", which was first performed by the Group Theatre in 1933 and turned into a movie the following year.

Was a board member of both Cafe La Mama and the Martha Graham dance company.

His hobbies included painting, sculpture, woodworking and collecting early American artefacts.

Served in the U.S. Army during World War II, attaining the rank of lieutenant.

At one time, President of the Dramatists Guild. From 1977, founding chairman of New Jersey's Motion Picture and Television Development Commission.

Was the best man at the wedding of Gloria Vanderbilt and Sidney Lumet.