Hal Elliott Wert grew up in Newton, Iowa, where he fished and swam in the surrounding creeks, rivers, lakes, and strip mines. As a Boy Scout, he hiked and camped throughout the state, and in high school, he floated and fished the Skunk River. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas and is a professor of American history at the Kansas City Art Institute. He lives in Overland Park, Kansas.