William Marchant (playwright)

William Marchant (1923-1995) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for his play The Desk Set, a comedy about a group of librarians replaced by an early computer, which was later adapted into a film starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Marchant also wrote the plays Point of No Return, adapted from the novel by John P. Marquand, and Find Me a Villain. Beyond his stage work, Marchant contributed to television and film, including screenplays for Gideon’s Trumpet and Conrack, the latter based on Pat Conroy's autobiographical novel The Water Is Wide. His writing often explored themes of technological advancement, corporate culture, and individual resilience in the face of change. Marchant was born in Newark, New Jersey.