Jon Stone

Jon Arthur Stone (April 13, 1931 – March 30, 1997) was an American screenwriter, director, and producer whose formative years in New Haven, Connecticut, were shaped by a father who practiced medicine and a rigorous education that included Pomfret School, Williams College (BA, 1952) and the Yale School of Drama (MFA, 1955). After completing a master’s degree, Stone entered a CBS training program that launched his career in children’s television, where he first cut his teeth as a writer for Captain Kangaroo and later contributed to the pioneering marionette series Kukla, Fran and Ollie. His early collaborations with Jim Henson in the early 1960s on fairy‑tale projects, such as an unaired Cinderella pilot that evolved into Hey, Cinderella!, demonstrated his talent for blending whimsical storytelling with educational intent, a skill that would become his hallmark. In the late 1960s, Stone’s keen eye for talent led him to introduce Henson and composer Joe Raposo to Children’s Television Workshop president Joan Ganz Cooney, setting the stage for his most celebrated work.