Daniel Whitehead Hicky (1900-1976) was an Atlanta poet born in Social Circle, Georgia, to Daniel Hiriart Hicky (1864-1927) and Elizabeth Alleen Whitehead Hicky (1876-1924). Hicky's nickname amongst his friends and family was Jack. His family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he attended St. Paul School, a private Catholic high school. From 1919 until 1934, Hicky worked at a cotton firm in Atlanta, writing poetry during his breaks. He also served as the president of the Atlanta Writer’s Club from 1926 to 1927 and wrote a column called “As I Was Saying” for the Atlanta Constitution from 1939 to 1947. His book of poetry, Wild Heron, was shortlisted for the 1941 Pulitzer Prize. To financially supplement his writing, Hicky worked for many years at the United States Department of Agriculture. While there his coworkers accused him of homosexuality. Investigators tapped both his phone and the phone of his supervisor, but found no evidence of the allegations. Despite being cleared, Hicky transferred from Atlanta to Washington D.C. His published work includes Bright Harbor (1932), Thirteen Sonnets for Georgia (1933), Call Back the Spring (1935), Wild Heron (1940), and Never the Nightingale (1951).