Born Budd Wilson Schulberg in New York City on March 27, 1914. One of the most celebrated contemporary American authors, Schulberg has achieved fame as a novelist, playwright, short story writer, publicist and screenwriter during his 60-year career.
Through his writing, which often dealt with boxing, Schulberg has endeared himself to the fistic community. His passion for boxing was inherited from his father, motion picture pioneer and Paramount Studios production chief, B.P Schulberg, who took his 6-year old son to see Benny Leonard box at Madison Square Garden.
After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1936, Schulberg became a screenwriter and continued to pen short stories, which were published in Liberty, Colliers, and The Saturday Evening Post. He completed his first novel, What Makes Sammy Run? in 1941 and his second novel, The Harder They Fall, the story of a prizefighter controlled by corrupt managers, was made into a motion picture starring Humphrey Bogart in 1956. Schulberg's famous screenplay for On The Waterfront, which starred Marlon Brando as boxer Terry Malloy, won 8 Academy Awards in 1954 including best picture, best actor and best screenplay.
One of the most revered boxing writers and historians Schulberg has penned such boxing books as Loser and Still Champion: Muhammad Ali and Sparring With Hemingway and has covered world championship boxing for Playboy, Esquire, and Newsday. Also in early 1950s Schulberg was the first boxing editor at Sports Illustrated. His articles have garnered him the Boxing Writers Association A.J. Liebling Award for outstanding boxing writing.
Age 89 upon his induction, Schulberg is still writing and can be seen at ringside for boxing's major battles.
Born: Mar. 27, 1914
Died: Aug. 5, 2009
Induction: 2003
Budd Schulberg
