John Richard Erickson is an American cowboy and author, best known for his classic children?s series, Hank the Cowdog. Erickson has written and published 75 books and more than 600 articles; he is best known for the Hank the Cowdog books, audio-books, and stage plays. His stories have won a number of awards, including the Audie, Oppenheimer, Wrangler, and Lamplighter Awards. The Hank the Cowdog series began as a self-publishing venture in his garage in 1982 and has endured to become one of the nation?s most popular series for children and families. The Hank books have been translated into Spanish, Danish, and Chinese, and have sold over 7.6 million copies. Erickson and his wife, Kristine, live on their cattle ranch near Perryton in Ochiltree County in the northern part of the Texas Panhandle. They have three children and four grandchildren. 

October 20th, 1942 in Midland (Age 82)