James A. Michener grew up in Doylestown and graduated in 1925 from the public school formerly here as a top-ranking student. His first novel, "Tales of the South Pacific," received the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. His many other books include "The Fires of Spring" (1949), "Hawaii" (1959), "The Source" (1965), and "Recessional" (1994). He traveled widely and was a noted art collector and philanthropist.