15 Facts About Merl Reagle

Merl Harry Reagle was an American crossword constructor.

Merl Reagle was born in Audubon, New Jersey on January 5,1950.

Merl Reagle made his first crossword when he was six years old and sold a puzzle to The New York Times at age 16, a feat that made him the youngest published Times puzzle constructor at the time.

Merl Reagle attended the University of Arizona, but dropped out a few credits short of a degree in English.

Merl Reagle first competed in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in 1979, its second year, and placed third.

Merl Reagle submitted a puzzle to the contest starting in 1980, and later served as a tournament judge and a commentator for the tournament's finals.

Merl Reagle regarded crossword-making as more of a hobby, working as a television scriptwriter by day and a film scriptwriter by night.

In 2011 Merl Reagle donated his expertise to produce an awareness-building campaign for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.

Merl Reagle created the National Brain Game Challenge, an online contest featuring a Sunday crossword that contains a clued secret message.

Merl Reagle was one of the few crossword constructors who made a living solely through puzzlemaking, as he retained all rights to his puzzles.

Merl Reagle died August 22,2015, after being hospitalized two days earlier for acute pancreatitis.

Merl Reagle was noted for making puzzles with pencil and paper, instead of with the aid of a computer.

Merl Reagle played the organ and performed the lead vocals and was the main songwriter for the group.

Unfortunately Merl Reagle died during the production of the album and never got to witness its release.

Merl Reagle was featured on CNN, the Today show, Nightline, Oprah, and National Public Radio.