Aaron Edward Hotchner was a multi-talented American writer. He worked as an editor, wrote novels, plays, and biographies, and even created TV scripts. He wrote biographies about famous people like Doris Day and Ernest Hemingway.

Hotchner also did something great for charity. He teamed up with actor Paul Newman to start a food company called Newman’s Own, which sold delicious food products. The money they made from this business went to help people in need. So, in addition to being a writer, Hotchner was also a philanthropist.

Hotchner was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a Jewish family. He attended Soldan High School and graduated from Washington University in 1940 with degrees in history and law. He briefly practiced law in St. Louis in 1941 and 1942. During World War II, he served as a journalist in the U.S. Army Air Corps, reaching the rank of major. After the war, he chose to pursue a writing career instead of practicing law.

Everything I do is me. I don’t like taking ideas from people unless they’re the G.O.A.T.

A Boogie wit da Hoodie

Aaron Edward Hotchner had a diverse and accomplished career as an editor, biographer, novelist, and playwright:

• He became close friends with the famous author Ernest Hemingway after they met in 1948. Their friendship lasted until Hemingway’s death in 1961. Hotchner later wrote a biography of Hemingway titled “Papa Hemingway” in 1966.
• In the 1950s and 1960s, Hotchner wrote teleplays, adapting several of Hemingway’s works for television, including “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” “The Killers,” “The Fifth Column,” and “After the Storm.”
• Hotchner authored a biography of the beloved actress Doris Day, titled “Doris Day: Her Own Story,” which was published in 1975.
• His autobiographical novel “King of the Hill,” published in 1973, was adapted into a film directed by Steven Soderbergh in 1993. The story follows a young boy trying to survive on his own in a St. Louis hotel during the Great Depression.
• Hotchner’s talent extended to the world of theater. He wrote the play “The White House,” featuring multiple First Ladies from U.S. history, which starred Helen Hayes and was performed on Broadway in 1964.
• In collaboration with composer Cy Coleman, he created the musical comedy “Welcome to the Club,” which appeared on Broadway in 1993.
• He also penned several other plays, including “Sweet Prince,” which was produced off-Broadway in 1982, starring Keir Dullea and Ian Abercrombie.

Hotchner’s contributions to literature, biographies, and the world of theater left a significant mark on American culture and the arts.

Aaron Edward Hotchner, along with his friend and neighbor, actor Paul Newman, founded Newman’s Own, Inc. in 1982. This company sells various food products, and all the profits from these products and other ventures are donated to charities.

In 1988, Hotchner and Newman co-founded the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a special residential summer camp and year-round center for seriously ill children in Ashford, Connecticut. Over time, the camp expanded to include several other locations in the U.S., Ireland, France, and more. These camps and programs, part of the SeriousFun Children’s Network, served the needs of over 130,000 children and families worldwide by 2016.

Hotchner was honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame for his contributions.

He lived in Westport, Connecticut, with his wife Virginia Kiser, where they spent most weekends. Hotchner had a passion for birds, and he cared for a grey parrot. He even had a collection of birds, including five peacocks outside his home. He enjoyed teaching the local children about different bird species. Sadly, he passed away on February 15, 2020, at the remarkable age of 102.