Clayton Rawson (1906-1971), who also wrote under the pseudonyms Stuart Towne and The Great Merlini, was an American author, illustrator, editor and lifelong amateur magician. His works include non-fiction books about magic and novels and stories in the mystery genre. Rawson was born in Elyria, Ohio. In 1929, he graduated from Ohio State University and married Catherine Stone. He and Stone had four children.