Jan Harold Brunvand

Jan Harold Brunvand is an American retired folklorist and professor emeritus of English at the University of Utah who became known as 'Mr. Urban Legend' for his extensive collections and studies of American urban folklore.[1][6] Born in Cadillac, Michigan, he earned his PhD in Language Arts from Indiana University and spent decades researching and publishing on urban legends, becoming the most influential legend scholar in twentieth-century media.[2][6] His popular books, including The Vanishing Hitchhiker and The Choking Doberman, documented stories that are 'too good to be true' and always happened to 'a friend of a friend.'[5][6]