Author. Best remembered as the author of "The Bourne Trilogy" novels. Born in New York City, he spent his childhood in Short Hills, New Jersey and was educated privately and at Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, Connecticut. Ludlum began appearing in school theatre productions and then performed in the comedy; "Junior Miss" on Broadway when he was just 16 years old. During World War II (WWII), he attempted to join the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in Canada, but was refused and subsequently enlisted and served from 1945 to 1947 as an infantryman with the U.S. Marine Corps. He went to college at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut and graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor's of Arts degree. That same year, he married Mary Ryducha, an actress, with whom he had three children. Before becoming a writer, he worked as an actor and theatrical producer during the 1950s to 1960s. Ludlum published "The Cry of the Halidon" and "Trevayne" using the pseudonym Jonathan Ryder. He also published one book, "The Road to Gandolpho" under the name Michael Shepherd. His debut novel, "The Scarlatti Inheritance" was published in 1971 and garnered success. In 1972, he released his second novel, "The Osterman Weekend" which was adapted into a film in 1983 by director Sam Peckinpah. From the 1970s to the 1990s, he was releasing numerous best-selling thriller novels. From 1980 to 1990, he released "The Bourne Trilogy" books, introducing the world to the character, "Jason Bourne." In his later years, he and his wife retired to Florida due to the warmer climate. Beginning in 2002, The Bourne Trilogy were adapted into a successful film franchise by Universal Pictures with Matt Damon and Jeremy Renner both starring as Bourne. Ludlum died on March 12, 2001 in Naples, Florida of a heart attack. He was 73.