Michael Wallis

Biography

Michael Wallis (born 1945) is a journalist from Missouri and popular historian of the Western United States. He has written 10 books, including the bestsellers Route 66: The Mother Road, The Real Wild West: The 101 Ranch and the Creation of the American West, and Pretty Boy: The Life and Times of Charles Arthur Floyd. He has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize three times. Wallis also appeared in the 2006 Pixar animated film, Cars, as Sheriff. Wallis was interviewed By Rep. Roy Blunt, (R), MO., for After Words on Book TV, 29 April 2007, discussing his latest book, Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride. Wallis attended the University of Missouri in Columbia, and moved to Miami, Florida, in 1978, where he worked for Time's Caribbean Bureau. He currently lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with his wife, Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis. Wallis' most recognizable feature is his mustache. The front grill of his character, Sheriff in Cars was designed to resemble his mustache.