Composer, Lyricist. He is remembered as a 20th century American Broadway composer and lyricist. His shows include "Let Freedom Sing" in 1942, "Call Me Mister" in 1948, "Alive and Kicking" in 1950, "Wish You Were Here" in 1952 and "I Can Get it for You Wholesale" in 1962, which was the debut of Barbra Streisand, who became an award-winning singer. From his high school days, he played the piano with various groups and wrote songs. Studying architect and law, he graduated in 1929 from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and continued on at Yale Law School. Upon graduation, he accepted a position as an architect, but continue to be active in the musical field as there was little need for an architect during the years of the Great Depression. He wanted to write songs about social injustices. His Broadway debut was the 1937 satirical musical revue "Pins and Needles," which was written as a small production for The International Ladies Garment Workers Union. The production ran for 110 performances. The revue was very successful being performed for United States President Franklin Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor in 1938 at the White House. This production followed in 1938 with "Sing Out the News." In 1949, he wrote the English lyrics of the French song "Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai ?" After doing three productions in the 1960s, his last was "The American Dance Machine" in 1978. He was inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982. In 1991 he was awarded the Drama Desk Awards, which recognizes excellence in New York Theatre productions, and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame. For a hobby, he was a painter. He donated all his manuscripts, other papers, and 75 oil paintings and watercolors to the Yale University Library. All of his music was transcribed from their original form to Yale's Historical Sound Recordings collection. He married and the couple had a daughter. He died from the complications of a stroke.