PAUL WASHBURN

Paul Washburn grew up in a small town, Boiling Springs, North Carolina, where eveyone knew everybody. Neighbors helped their neighbors if needed.

Having grown up during the great depression of the 1930’s, his parents valued thrift, service to others, self reliance, and learning. They provided many books and freedom to explore the local neighborhoods and forests where he and his brothers and friends could go camping or swimming in Broad River. Instead of rules his father would ask, “What good are you doing?”

After graduating from Gardner Webb College and Wake Forest

University he earned a Ph.D at Ohio State University. There he met Judith Sostarich. They married in 1974 and moved to Los Angeles where they both worked as professors at California State University, Los Angeles, she in the College of Education and he in the College of Business and Economics. They raised three children and have ten grandchildren, some of whom inspired characters in the stories.

One day while visiting his grandfather,

Paul’s thirteen year old

grandson said, “Tell me a story.” So began the tales of Skipper’s adventures.