William Goadby Lawrence

William Goadby Lawrence was one of America's foremost marine artists of the 20th Century. Born in Rumson, New Jersey, on August 17, 1913, he became an artist at a very young age, attended the Art Students League in New York and had his first show at age 21 at Abercrombie & Fitch in New York City.

Lawrence served in the United States Coast Guard in World War II as a Combat Artist and Chief Boatswain's Mate. He saw action in the battles for North Africa, Sicily, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. While with the U.S.S. Samuel chase he was awarded the Silver Star for Gallantry and Intrepidity in Action. After the war Lawrence had a long and productive art career.

Lawrence worked as an illustrator for leading magazines including Field and Stream and The Saturday Evening Post. The February 1942 cover of The Saturday Evening Post featured a painting by Lawrence of a marlin chasing a baitfish into the surf. Additionally, his works have been published in Van Campen Heilner's book Salt Water Fishing and Bob Dunn and Peter Goadby's book Saltwater Game Fishing of the World.

Lawrence reached further prominence with his classically painted portraits of saltwater game-fish, salmon and wild trout leaping out of the water. He went on to have shows at the Crossroads of Sports, the Kennedy Gallery, the Sporting Gallery, the Harlow Gallery, Field and Stream, Seagram's Distillery and Life Magazine. He was an avid salmon fisherman and loved deep-sea game fishing, becoming a member of the U.S. Tuna Fishing Team.

Today his artwork can be found in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, the Museum of Natural History, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Museums.