Leonard Louis Levinson

Leonard Louis Levinson (March 2, 1904 - January 30, 1974) While a student at Fifth Avenue High School in Pittsburgh, he was a star in baseball, ice hockey, and track, accumulating 13 sports letters. He also was president of the literary and debate organizations and business manager of the school publication. After high school, he studied radio engineering at Carnegie Tech and followed that with a study of drama at the University of Pittsburgh. He later attended the University of California at Los Angeles and worked at a newspaper while he was enrolled there . After working in Hollywood for the trade publication Variety for several years, Levinson joined the Hillman-Shane Advertising Agency, Incorporated, heading a new department as director of publicity. In that role he oversaw public relations for film personalities and film companies. He wrote "many screen originals" and was involved in production of Broadway Melody, Holiday Revue, and other films. After he worked for the government, he wrote for more radio programs, Television programs for which Levinson wrote included Success Story and Sure As Fate.

Stage Levinson wrote for the stage as early as age 23, when he wrote the book and lyrics for a revue in which Fanny Brice, Lupe Velez, and others appeared. He was technical director for the national tour of The Desert Song. Eligibility was limited to people living inside the city limits of Hollywood. A second contest invited people to submit new slogans for the company with the grand prize being a free sightseeing trip around Hollywood. Levinson selected his secretary as the winner, giving her an afternoon off work and a dime to pay bus fare. the company released four cartoons via an arrangement with Republic. The premiere of the four cartoons occurred on a Los Angeles streetcar, with the vehicle proceeding "on its predetermined course through downtown Los Angeles while the films were unreeled."

Books Levinson wrote the books Bartlett's Unfamiliar Quotations, Webster's Unafraid Dictionary, Wall Street: A Pictorial History, The Left-Handed Dictionary, and 12 cookbooks.