Eugene Lee Coon was born on January 7, 1924, in Beatrice, Nebraska, to U.S. Army Sgt. Merle Jack "Pug" Coon and decorator Erma Gay Noakes. At just four years old, he began singing on the radio at WOAW-AM in Omaha, Nebraska, showcasing his skills in 24 different songs, including one in French and one in German.
Growing up, Coon was an active member of The Gage County, Nebraska 4-H Club and the Boy Scouts. He attended Omaha Technical High School, where he participated in ROTC, played in the school band, and even served as a teenage newscaster for KWBE-AM in Beatrice.
After high school, Coon moved with his family to Glendale, California, where his father found work as a Poultryman. Coon transferred to Glendale High School and later served stateside in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1942 to 1946.
Following his military service, Coon studied radio communications at Glendale College and performed in a production of Ayn Rand's play "The Night of January 16th." He then transferred to The University of Iowa, where he received further training as a war reporter and ran a pharmacy.
Coon's writing career began to take off, and he wrote several novels, including "Meanwhile Back At The Front" and "The Short End of The Stick." He also worked as a radio newscaster and eventually turned to freelance writing under the mentorship of Los Angeles Times reporter Gene Sherman.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Coon became a prolific television writer, scripting teleplays for popular shows like "Dragnet," "Wagon Train," "Maverick," and "Bonanza." He also developed the concept for the hit show "McHale's Navy" and floated the idea for "The Munsters" to MCA chairman Lew Wasserman.
Coon's most notable work, however, was his involvement in the creation of the iconic science fiction series "Star Trek." He is credited with inventing the Klingons and developing the interpersonal dynamics between Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy. He also established the enlightened image of Starfleet and often ended episodes with anti-war allegories.
Throughout his career, Coon was known for his boundless creative energy, his love of reading, and his ability to produce scripts quickly. He often wrote under the pseudonym "Lee Cronin" and acted as a "script doctor," doing uncredited rewrites.
Coon left "Star Trek" in March 1968, reportedly due to personality clashes with the cast, but continued to write several more episodes under his pseudonym. He went on to work on other projects, including the TV series "It Takes a Thief" and the animated series "Star Trek: The Animated Series."
Tragically, Coon died of lung and throat cancer on July 14, 1973, just one week after being diagnosed. He was only 49 years old.
