Simon Miller Harris, 1921-2013, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 14 October 1921. In 1943, he graduated with a B.A. in English from Cornell University, where he befriended writer Kurt Vonnegut. During the 1942-1943 school year, Harris served as editor-in-chief of the Cornell Daily Sun while the younger Vonnegut served as associate editor. After he graduated, Harris served as a first sergeant in the United States Army during World War II. In 1946, Harris started working for Eagle Shirtmakers, a Philadelphia firm founded by his great-grandfather, Jacob Miller, in 1867. Harris eventually became CEO of the company. On 9 June 2013, he died in Spinnerstown, Pennsylvania.

Kurt Vonnegut, 1922-2007, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on 11 November 1922. He attended Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, where he wrote for the Shortridge High School Echo, one of the few daily high school newspapers in the country. At the urging of his father, Vonnegut studied chemistry and biology at Cornell University, where he met Harris and wrote for the Cornell Daily Sun. Vonnegut left college early to fight in World War II. In 1950, he published his first story, "Report on the Barnhouse Effect," in Collier's. He is best known for his novels, which include Slaughterhouse-Five (1969) and Breakfast of Champions (1973). He has also written for both the stage and screen, and many of his works have been adapted to film, television, and theater. Vonnegut died in New York City on 11 April 2007.