Thomas E. Gaddis

Thomas Eugene Gaddis (September 14, 1908 – October 10, 1984) was an American writer most noted for his biography, Birdman of Alcatraz (1955), about convicted murderer Robert Stroud.

Stroud was convicted of murder in Alaska and first sentenced to Leavenworth Federal prison in Kansas.

After stabbing a guard to death in prison, Stroud was sentenced to life imprisonment in solitary confinement.

Gaddis's book was loosely adapted as the 1962 film Birdman of Alcatraz, starring Burt Lancaster as Stroud.

"Later in life, Gaddis worked as an educator at Reed College from 1962 to 1965, as well as a court consultant and psychologist, in addition to writing.