Biography
John D. Hess was a writer for radio, television and the stage. He was born in Chicago on 17 April 1918 and educated at the University of Chicago Laboratory School, Dartmouth College and Yale Drama School. After working as a staff writer for WGN radio in Chicago, he served as a tank officer in the Second World War.
In 1951 Hess originated the CBS daytime soap opera Love of Life, which ran until 1980; he also wrote for other soaps including The Secret Storm and General Hospital. His later credits included episodes of the comedies MASH (three episodes, 1974–1977), Alice and One Day at a Time, and the dramas The Streets of San Francisco, The Rockford Files and Ben Casey. He wrote the 1961 feature film A Matter of Morals*, which he also produced, and several stage plays.
