Van Powell

Born Ardon Van Buren Powell in Macon, Georgia, on March 31, 1886, he moved to New York as a child and later wrote under both A. Van Buren Powell and Van Powell. He began his career as a reviewer and then worked in New York's silent film industry from 1912 to 1921, earning screenwriting credits on dozens of films and publishing The Photoplay Synopsis in 1919, a guide for aspiring screenwriters.

When filmmaking shifted west, Powell stayed in New York and turned to boys' adventure fiction. He wrote the Bud Bright books, the Mystery Boys series, and the aviation-themed Sky Scouts adventures, stories known for energetic plotting and a taste for mystery. Sources also note that he was visually impaired from birth and later, as his sight declined further, changed careers and worked as an insurance broker in Vineland, New Jersey.

Powell died in Vineland on August 20, 1962. No suitable verified portrait image was found from the pages reviewed, so a profile image is not included here.