An American newspaperman and information consultant for the U.S. government, Harry Hart Frank used the pseudonym Pat Frank for his fictional writing. Born in Chicago, he began his career in journalism in New York and moved on to Washington. He worked as a correspondent and for the Office of War Information during World War II in Italy, Germany, Austria and Turkey, and later Korea during the Korean War.

After the war years, he wrote novels at his home in Florida. His short story, "The Girl Who Almost Got Away", was the basis for the Howard Hawks film Man's Favorite Sport? (1964) starring Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss.

Frank died in Jacksonville, Florida on October 12, 1964 from pancreatitis.