Ross Franklin Lockridge Jr., (April 25, 1914 – March 6, 1948) was born in Bloomington and attended Indiana University. He sprang into the public consciousness in 1948 with the publication of his historical novel Raintree County (1948). The novel, which quickly became a bestseller, was widely praised by readers and critics alike. Some have considered it a "Great American Novel." Lockridge suffered from severe depression, and committed suicide on March 6, 1948, shortly after Raintree County's publication. He left behind his wife, Vernice, and four young children. Lockridge is interred in Rose Hill Cemetery in Bloomington, Indiana.
In 1957, Hollywood's Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) adapted Raintree County to the big screen. The movie, also titled Raintree County, featured Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift and Eva Marie Saint. It received fair to good reviews and did moderately well at the box office, receiving four Academy Awards nominations, including one for Taylor.