Murray Hoyt Papers

Murray Hoyt was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1904. He attended Middlebury College where he majored in English, and graduated in 1926. While still in college, he sold his first story to a boy's magazine. From 1926-1930, he taught physical education and coached in Waterville, New York. It was during this time that he sold stories, primarily dealing with romance and sports, to "pulp" magazines. Around the year 1930, Hoyt resigned his teaching position, as he was earning enough money at writing to support himself. It was at this time that Hoyt took up residence in Vermont.

In 1937, Hoyt founded an adult education camp on Lake Champlain to supplement his income as a writer. The story of this camp, Owl's Head Harbor, is related in Hoyt's first book, "Does it Always Rain Here, Mr. Hoyt?", published in 1950. The book was a great financial success, and received much public attention. During the period of WWII, he sold works to more respectable journals, or "slicks," among them "The Saturday Evening Post" and "Ladies Home Journal."

After this period, he continued to sell to these publications, but gradually concentrated on longer works. In addition to "Does it Always Rain Here, Mr. Hoyt?", he wrote "The Fish in My Life" (1964), "The World of Bees" (1965), "Investment Book" (1972), and "30 Miles for Ice Cream" (1964).