L. Frank Baum

Author L. Frank Baum created one of the most enduring fantasies of the 20th century, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), which spawned a slew of additional novels, as well as a cottage industry of motion picture and television adaptations, including "The Wizard of Oz" (1939), which became something of a childhood rite of passage that eventually surpassed its source in popularity and recognition. Baum's work originated from his desire to …