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Walter Evans Kidd was a noted writer of poems and short stories and held numerous academic positions during his career. He was born in Long Creek, Oregon on May 2, 1901 and was raised in the Portland area. Kidd attended the University of Oregon, earning a B.A. in 1926 and an M.A. in 1935, both in English. As a university student Kidd participated in the Oregon Daily Emerald and was a member of Delta Upsilon Fraternity and Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. He also earned an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa. During the 1930s he taught at Washington High School in Portland. Kidd earned the Ph.D. from the University of Denver in 1943.

During his career Kidd held teaching posts at the University of Nebraska, Stephen F. Austin State College (Texas), Fresno State College and the University of Michigan (visiting professor). He published four books of poetry, two scholarly books and numerous articles. Many of his works were published under the pseudonym Conrad Pendleton. Kidd was also director of the Pineywood Writers conference.

In 1926 Kidd was married to Nancy Olivia Pendleton, who had also attended the University of Oregon. In their later years the two established the Walter and Nancy Kidd Fund to award prizes and awards to undergraduate writing students at the university. After Walter's retirement they had resided mainly in Portland. Mrs. Kidd died during the early 1980s. Walter lived his last years in Milwaukie, Oregon and died on December 14, 1990 from complications resulting from a fall he had suffered previously.