Frederick Benjamin Gipson was born in 1908 on a farm near Mason, Texas. After graduating from high school, he worked a number of farming and ranching jobs before going to college. While attending the University of Texas he wrote for the Daily Texan and the Ranger. Before graduating Gipson left school to become a reporter for the Caller-Times. Later he worked for the Denver Post. While working for the Post, Gipson began writing stories and articles.
Gipson’s first book was called The Fabulous Empire: Colonel Zack Miller’s Story. He wrote this in 1946. Three years later Hound-Dog Man was completed. This sold over 250,000 copies in its first publication. After this Gipson wrote a number of books including Old Yeller in 1956.
Gipson considered Old Yeller his best book. It sold nearly three million copies by 1973. Old Yeller tells the story of a fourteen-year-old boy who must take care of his family while his father is away. Old Yeller helps by protecting the family in the wilderness. Old Yeller was made into a movie in 1957 by Walt Disney Studios.
Gipson won a number of awards including:
- the William Allen White Award
- the first Sequoyah Award
- The Television-Radio Annual Writers Award
- The Northwest Pacific Award.
Gipson died on August 14, 1973 and was buried in the State Cemetery in Austin.