William E. Vaughan (October 8, 1915 – February 25, 1977) was an American columnist and author.
Born in Saint Louis, Missouri, he wrote a syndicated column for the Kansas City Star from 1946 until his death in 1977.
He was published in Reader's Digest and Better Homes and Gardens under the pseudonym Burton Hillis.
He is known and still quoted decades later for his folksy aphorisms, some of which were published in his "Starbeams" feature.
[2] Examples of his aphorisms which have been quoted long after his death include: He wrote three books, Bird Thou Never Wert, a 1962 collection of columns, Sorry I Stirred It 1964, and Half the Battle 1967.