Facts: - imagesize: 180px - death place: new york city , u.s. - known for: tony awards for '' mister roberts '' - death cause: death by drowning - death date: 19 may 1949 - spouse: carol lynn gilmer -lrb- 1942-1946 -rrb- - birth date: 23 december 1918 - name: thomas heggen - birth place: fort dodge , iowa , u.s. - alma mater: university of minnesota - occupation: author , playwright Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of thomas heggen .
thomas heggen -lrb- 23 december 1918 -- 19 may 1949 -rrb- was an american author best known for his 1946 novel '' mister roberts '' and its adaptations to stage and screen .