R.L. Hancock, Journalist and Author, Dies

Ralph Lowell Hancock, a former Los Angeles Times reporter and author of more than 20 nonfiction works, died Saturday at Sharp Memorial Hospital after a short illness. He was 83.

He began his writing career as a journalist nearly 60 years ago and wrote for several U.S. publications and wire services. He had lived in San Diego for 27 years.

At the suggestion of then-Times publisher Harry Chandler, Hancock went to Los Angeles in 1929, where he worked briefly as a reporter. He later lived in Mexico and eventually was hired as a foreign correspondent by the New York Times, where he became a recognized expert on Latin America.

He covered a variety of events in Latin America, including the political revolution that brought Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza Sr. to power in 1937.

During World War II, Hancock worked as a senior analyst on the Board of Economic Warfare in Washington.

During the 1940s, Hancock served as Latin America editor for the Encyclopedia Americana. He later co-wrote a series of textbooks for young people, including “Our Southern Neighbors,” “Exploring American Neighbors” and “Mexico & Central America.” The texts were widely used in schools in California and New York.

He returned to Los Angeles in the late 1940s and became an avid observer of Southern California culture, writing “The Fabulous Boulevard” in 1949, a book detailing life on Wilshire Boulevard. It stayed on the best-seller lists for 26 weeks. The “Forest Lawn” story followed in 1955 and then “Desert Living,” written after Hancock moved to Palm Springs.

Hancock’s career brought him into contact with many Hollywood notables. He ghostwrote comedian Joe E. Brown’s autobiography, titled “Laughter Is a Wonderful Thing” and worked on projects for songwriters Hoagy Carmichael and Henry Tobias.

He collaborated with Douglas Fairbanks’ niece, Letitia, on a book about the actor’s life that was published in 1953, 14 years after Fairbanks died. In it, he detailed Fairbanks’ tempestuous marriage to Mary Pickford and his daredevil screen persona.

His 1968 book “The Compleat Swindler,” about famous con jobs, landed him an appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson. In demonstrating how easily swindles can occur, he plugged San Diego for a minute, then asked Carson how much a minute of advertising was worth on the show. He proceeded to tell Carson he had just “swindled” him out of $17,000 with the impromptu speech. For this, then-Mayor Frank Curran awarded Hancock with a key to the city.

In all, Hancock ghostwrote 30 manuscripts in addition to books published under his name. In the early 1970s, he donated all of his papers, articles and books to the University of Oregon.

Born in Plainville, Ind., Hancock had lived in San Diego since 1960, and when he died was a resident of Scripps Ranch. He attended Springfield (Mo.) Business College and Washington University in St. Louis.

Hancock is survived by his wife, Frances, a retired teacher; a daughter, Nancy, of Palo Alto, and a son, Bret, of Santa Cruz.