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Sam Sackett was born in Redlands, CA, in 1928. He graduated from Redlands High School and attended the University of Redlands (A.B. 1948, A.M. 1949). After serving as Instructor of English and Journalism at Hastings College, Hastings, NE (1949-1951), he attended the University of California at Los Angeles (1951-1954. Ph. D. 1956). In addition to his course work he was mentored as a writer by Ray Bradbury and the late Henry Kuttner. He published a number of science-fiction stories, most notably "Hail to the Chief," which was anthologized in American Government through Science Fiction, ed. Olander, Grenberg, and Warrick (Rand McNally) and Election Day 2084, ed. Asimov and Greenberg (Prometheus Books, 1984).
At Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS, where he taught from 1954 to 1977, Sackett rose from Assistant to Associate to full Professor. He co-edited Kansas Folklore (University of Nebraska Press), which was selected by the United States Information Agency for placement in its libraries overseas; translated De Man die Zijn Haar Kort Liet Knippen, a Flemish novel by Johan Daisne (The Man Who Had His Hair Cut Short, Horizon Press, 1965), which won an award from the Belgian government; wrote Cowboys and the Songs They Sang (William R. Scott & Co., 1967), which was selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the fifteen best children's books of its year; and wrote E.W. Howe (Twayne United States Authors Series, No. 195; Twayne Publishers, 1972).
Having left university teaching in 1977, Sackett spent a year as a free-lance writer, publishing articles in various magazines, then a year as dean of a proprietary business college in Hutchinson, KS, then a year as a reporter for The Leader newspaper in Clinton, OK, and then a year as Director of Creative Services for an advertising agency in Weatherford, OK. He was Assignments Manager for a public relations firm in Oklahoma City for three years and then spent two years operating his own public relations firm.
By this time Sackett had become an expert in career change and entered the career management field, serving two years as Senior Associate in one firm, a year as Vice President of another firm, and finally thirteen years as Vice President of the Oklahoma City office of Barnard Haldane Associates. During this time he published How to Keep Your Job While Everybody Else Is Losing Theirs and 12 Steps to Finding the Perfect Career (both issued by The Graduate Group).
Sackett retired to Thailand, his wife's native country, in 2003. While there he collaborated on two books helping Thais to prepare for the TOEIC and TOEFL examinations (D.K. Today Co., 2007 and 2008). He and his wife returned to the United States in 2009 and now live in northwestern Oklahoma. Sweet Betsy from Pike (iUniverse, 2009) is his first published novel.
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