Michael Wallis
Encyclopedia
Michael Wallis is a journalist and popular historian of the Western United States. He has written seventeen books, including Route 66: The Mother Road, about the historic highway U.S. Route 66
. His work has also been published extensively in magazines and newspapers, including Time, Life, People, Smithsonian, The New Yorker, and The New York Times.
Wallis has received the John Steinbeck Award, the Arrell Gibson
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book, the Will Rogers Spirit Award, and the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall & Western Heritage Museum. He has been inducted into the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame, Writers Hall of Fame of America, and the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame, and was the first inductee into the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame. He has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize
three times.
Wallis was interviewed by Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) for After Words
on Book TV
, 29 April 2007, discussing his latest book, Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride.
Wallis graduated from Western Military Academy
in Alton, Illinois in 1963. He later attended the University of Missouri
in Columbia
, and moved to Miami, Florida, in 1978, where he worked for Time
's Caribbean Bureau. He currently lives in Tulsa
, Oklahoma with his wife, Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis.
Wallis also provided the voice of Sheriff in the Disney
·Pixar
Cars series
as well as in the Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales episode "Tokyo Mater". Wallis' most recognizable feature is his mustache, and the front grille
of his character was designed to resemble his mustache.
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
. His work has also been published extensively in magazines and newspapers, including Time, Life, People, Smithsonian, The New Yorker, and The New York Times.
Wallis has received the John Steinbeck Award, the Arrell Gibson
Arrell Gibson
Arrell Gibson was a historian and author specializing in the history of the state of Oklahoma. He was born in Pleasanton, KS on December 1, 1921. He earned degrees from Missouri Southern State College and the University of Oklahoma...
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book, the Will Rogers Spirit Award, and the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall & Western Heritage Museum. He has been inducted into the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame, Writers Hall of Fame of America, and the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame, and was the first inductee into the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame. He has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
three times.
Wallis was interviewed by Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) for After Words
After Words
After Words is an American television series on the C-SPAN2 network’s weekend programming schedule known as Book TV. The program is an hour-long talk show, each week featuring an interview with the author of a new nonfiction book. The program has no regular host...
on Book TV
Book TV
Book TV is the name given to weekend programming on the American cable network C-SPAN2 airing from 8 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday morning to 8 a.m. Eastern Time Monday morning each week. The 48 hour block of programming is focused on non-fiction books and authors, featuring programs in the format of...
, 29 April 2007, discussing his latest book, Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride.
Wallis graduated from Western Military Academy
Western Military Academy
Western Military Academy was a private military preparatory school located in Alton,Il. Founded in 1879, Western Military Academy closed in 1971. The campus is located in the National Register of Historic Places District...
in Alton, Illinois in 1963. He later attended the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
in Columbia
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
, and moved to Miami, Florida, in 1978, where he worked for Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
's Caribbean Bureau. He currently lives in Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, Oklahoma with his wife, Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis.
Wallis also provided the voice of Sheriff in the Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
·Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
Cars series
Cars (franchise)
Cars is the second film series created by Pixar and distributed by Disney after Toy Story. Cars was released on June 9, 2006 and Cars 2 was released on June 24, 2011. Both films were directed by John Lasseter, the CEO of Pixar Animation Studios...
as well as in the Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales episode "Tokyo Mater". Wallis' most recognizable feature is his mustache, and the front grille
Grille
A grille or grill is an opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out.-Spelling:In the United States, "grille" is used to differentiate the automotive...
of his character was designed to resemble his mustache.
External links
- Michael Wallis Online (official website)
- Voices of Oklahoma interview with Michael Wallis. First person interview conducted with Michael Wallis on March 3, 2011. Original audio and transcript archived with Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.