Ken Elton Kesey was born September 17, 1935 (The Oregon Historical Society). Kesey was a star wrestler in Springfield, Oregon, where he grew up. He received two different scholarships, at the University of Oregon and Stanford University. He later became a best-selling author and wrote several memorable novels including One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Sailor Song, and Sometimes a Great Nation (biography by Ken Kesey). In 1975, one of these novels, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, was converted into an Oscar-winning film (The Oregon Historical Society). Kesey was born in La Junta, Colorado, and moved to Oregon with his family in 1946. He was a champion wrestler throughout high school and college (The Oregon Historical Society). He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1957, where he took part in wrestling and theater (Goodwin). After graduating from the University of Oregon, Kesey moved to Palo Alto, California because he won a scholarship to Stanford University's graduate writing program (Ken Kesey bio). While at Stanford University, he had the opportunity to be a student of accredited historian, short story writer, and novelist Wallace Stegner (The Oregon Historical Society). By the time Kesey finished his studies, he had earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon and a master's degree in writing from Stanford University (Ken Kesey bio). In 1959, Kesey volunteered for a government-funded psychoactive drug research program. The program, held at Menlo Park Veterans Hospital, consisted of testing hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD, mescaline and psilocybin. During the program, which lasted several weeks, Kesey took these drugs and wrote down his experiences for researchers. After…half of the paper…quo, college students have widely read and enjoyed the book. The book is considered by many to be a masterpiece and is the centerpiece of Kesey's (Goodwin) lasting legacy. Works Cited Goodwin, Susan. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey." 2012. Lone Star University System. April 8, 2014. “Ken Kesey Biography.” 2014. The Biographical Channel Website. April 7, 2014 .Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Signet Books, 1963. Railton, Stephen. "Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters." 2012. University of Virginia. April 9, 2014. The Oregon Historical Society. "Ken Kesey Biography." 2009. Oregon History Project. April 7 2014 .