- Became a conservationist and expressed regret over portraying sharks as killing machines as he did in his first novel Jaws. The book sold over twenty million copies and was made into the big-screen classic Jaws (1975).
- After graduating from Harvard University in 1961 he became a reporter at the Washington Post then worked as an editor at Newsweek. He later went to the White House where he wrote difficult speeches about the Vietnam War for President Lyndon Johnson.
- For Jaws (1975), he was paid $175,000 for the book and screenplay with escalator clauses that brought his total for film rights to about $250,000. In addition he received 10% of the production's net profits, which was approximately $10 million. He received another $1 million for the book's foreign sales, as of 1976.
- Former speech writer for U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson.
- Graduated from Harvard University in 1961
- He was inducted in the 2018 New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Arts and Letters category.
- Three children with Winifred (Wendy): Tracy, Clayton and Christopher. Five grandchildren.
- His first book was a children's book called, Jonathon Visits the White House.
- Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Writers Branch)
- He was nominated for the 2016 New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Arts and Letters category.
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