Avery Hopwood

Born in Cleveland, James Avery Hopwood became one of the most successful American playwrights of the Jazz Age. He studied at the University of Michigan and went on to build a major Broadway career writing brisk, crowd-pleasing comedies and farces.

At the height of his fame, he had four plays running on Broadway at the same time in 1920, a sign of just how strong his hold on popular theater had become. He is especially remembered for plays including The Gold Diggers, Ladies' Night, Spanish Love, and The Bat, the mystery hit he co-wrote that later influenced generations of crime and suspense stories.

Hopwood died in France in 1928 at just 46 years old, but his name continued to matter after his lifetime. His estate helped support the University of Michigan's Hopwood Awards, a writing program that has encouraged many later authors.