Rod McKuen*

Shortly before Rod McKuen was born in Oakland, California, in 1933, his father abandoned his mother. A few years later, his mother remarried and had two more children, but McKuen's stepfather was an abusive alcoholic. "He was one of my motivations to get away from home," said McKuen.

McKuen began running away periodically from the time he was eight. At age 11, he left and never returned. For the next seven years, McKuen drifted and worked at odd jobs, including ranch hand, gravedigger, railroad worker, lumberjack, and rodeo cowboy. "I always had faith in myself," he recalled. Because he had little formal education, McKuen kept a notebook of words and phrases he wanted to understand, which led to his keeping a journal. Eventually, he began writing poetry and songs. When McKuen was 18, he published his first book of poetry, An Autumn Came. His poetry eventually became the basis for academic courses.

During the Korean War, McKuen served in the U.S. Army. Bob Hope discovered his talents and took him on tour. When he returned to San Francisco, he began performing at the Purple Onion. He went on to record 249 albums of mostly original music, 73 of which went platinum and 115 gold, making him one of the most successful singer-songwriters in history.

Some 500 artists, including Frank Sinatra and Madonna, have at least one Rod McKuen song in their recorded collections. He also published 35 books of poetry and three books of prose. His talents reached beyond pop culture and include scores for ballets and musicals.

McKuen was honored with two Freedom Foundation medals. He was twice named Man of the Year by Variety Club, and he served as president of the National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse.

An ardent philanthropist, McKuen once told Philanthropy World magazine, "Tell everyone to give more, and more often, to more good causes." Of his Horatio Alger Award, McKuen said, "Maybe it's simplistic, but I think what all of us who have been honored with the Horatio Alger Award have in common is a steady belief in the work ethic. If you go straight ahead and work very hard, you will be successful."