American character actor in scores of films after substantial stageexperience. He was born in DeSoto, Missouri, but raised in Atchison,Kansas. The son of a railroad worker and law clerk (some publicitymaterial states the father was a physician, but family and censusrecords show otherwise), he wavered between various careers includingoil exploration, but found his way after an introduction to the stagewith the Atchison Civic Theatre and Kansas City Civic Theatre. Hebriefly attended the University of Kansas (where he was a fraternitybrother of future newsmanJohn Cameron Swayze). He moved from Kansas to Californiain 1930, where he lived with his grandparents and worked in the lemongroves near Pomona prior to opening a tire-repair shop in that city. Healso helped found a theatre company in Pomona. He joined the PasadenaCommunity Playhouse, where he was spotted by a Warner Bros. talentscout looking for someone with a resemblance to Henry Clay, for theWarners short filmThe Monroe Doctrine (1939). He signed with Warners as a contract playerand was thereafter virtually never without work. He played in anenormous number of films over the next three decades, mostly in smallsupporting roles. He was equally adept at playing businessmen,attorneys, or historical figures, and was a familiar face on screen andon television for his entire career, though most people would have beenunable to identify him by name. Perhaps his greatest fame came in theTV role of oil company president John Brewster onThe Beverly Hillbillies (1962). During thelast years of his life, he was co-owner of a popular restaurant/bar inEncino, California, called The Oak Room. Wilcox died in1974.

- IMDb mini biography by: Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

Following a year at the University of Kansas, Wilcox returned toAtchison where he worked for Lockwood-Hazel Printing Co. He attendedSt. Benedict's College in Atchison for a year and a half and graduatedin the class of 1933. Wilcox received the Cross of the Order of St.Benedict, given for the first time ever in 1969, from St. Benedict'sCollege in appreciation of his outstanding service to the college. Hewas a member of St. Benedict's College Advisory Board of Trustees from1965-1971. Wilcox earned five battle stars during WWII. He was an namedan Honorary Mayor of Granada Hills, Calif. for more than ten years, andalso served as an Honorary Fire Chief of the Los Angeles firedepartment. Samuel William Yorty, Mayor of the City of Los Angeles,declared January 11, 1964 Frank Wilcox Day.

- IMDb mini biography by: Jennifer Carter