Richard Hugo

Richard Hugo (December 21, 1923 – October 22, 1982), born Richard Franklin Hogan, was an American poet and teacher.
Hugo was born in 1923, near Seattle, Washington. His given name was Richard Franklin Hogan. His father left the family soon after his birth. In 1942, he changed his name to his step-father's name, Hugo.
In World War II, Hugo dropped bombs for the U. S. Army Air Corps in the Mediterranean area. He flew 35 missions. After the war, he studied creative writing at the University of Washington. Poet Theodore Roethke was his teacher. He got a BA in 1948 and an MA in 1952. His first book, "A Run of Jacks," came out in 1961. From 1964, he taught at the University of Montana in Missoula for almost 18 years.
From 1977 to 1982 he was the judge for the Yale Younger Poets series.
Hugo was 58 years old when he died of leukemia in 1982.