John Ball (novelist)

John Dudley Ball, Jr.
John Dudley Ball, Jr.
Born	8 July 1911; Schenectady, New York, U.S.
Died	October 15, 1988 (aged 77); Encino, California, U.S.
Education	Carroll College
Occupation(s)	writer, police officer

John Dudley Ball Jr. (July 8, 1911 – October 15, 1988)^[1] was an American writer best known for mystery novels involving the African-American police detective Virgil Tibbs. Tibbs was introduced in the 1965 novel In the Heat of the Night, which won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel from the Mystery Writers of America and was made into an Oscar-winning film of the same name, starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger.

^ McDowell, Edwin (October 18, 1988). "John Ball Dies at 77; A Critic and Novelist Know for Mysteries". The New York Times. Retrieved May 24, 2010.

John Dudley Ball, Jr.
Born	(1911-07-08)8 July 1911 Schenectady, New York, U.S.
Died	October 15, 1988(1988-10-15) (aged 77) Encino, California, U.S.
Education	Carroll College
Occupation(s)	writer, police officer