David Kogan (radio writer)
David Philip Kogan (born Rothman; December 22, 1916 – August 6, 2009) was an American radio and television writer, director and producer. He is best known for the radio series The Mysterious Traveler, created with Robert Arthur Jr. Kogan preferred science fiction, while Arthur handled much of the horror. They split the work by plotting together and then writing separately, with Kogan often directing.
Kogan was born in Philadelphia to Yetta and Samuel Rothman. After his father died in 1920, he and his mother moved to Brooklyn, where he attended P.S. 109 and Samuel J. Tilden High School, finishing in 1932. Around 1940, while studying radio production at Columbia University with Erik Barnouw, he met his future partner Bob Arthur. The two formed a productive writing team, earning three Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America: Best Radio Drama in 1950 for Murder by Experts, Best Radio Drama in 1953 for The Mysterious Traveler, and a 1951 honor for outstanding achievement in producing, directing and writing radio mystery shows.
In September 1952, the Mysterious Traveler was canceled, ending their long-running signature series. The era’s investigations into alleged pro-Communist ties within the Radio Writers Guild affected many in Hollywood, including Kogan and Arthur.
After radio, Kogan moved to Philadelphia and worked as a portfolio manager, occasionally writing for financial publications. A side venture in 1971 saw his wife Sylvia operating a linen store, David’s of Cedarbrook.
Kogan married Sylvia Scaroff in October 1944, and they had at least one son, Kenneth. He spent his later years in Montgomery, Pennsylvania, and died in Maine on August 6, 2009, at the age of 92. He was survived by his wife and son.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:50 (CET).