Although he lived much of his life in Salt Lake City, Jack Goodman's (1913-2003) dialect and mindset retained an interesting mix of Eastern and Western American influences. Born 13 October 1913 to Joseph and Anna Goodman in Brooklyn, New York, Goodman was educated at the National Academy of Design and New York University. He worked as a journalist in New York, and also as a news director for WNYC, where he met Marjorie Rosenblatt. Marjorie and Jack were married 10 May 1941, and the couple moved to Marjorie's hometown, Salt Lake City, after World War II.

Jack's Utah career began as a news director for KALL radio station in Salt Lake City. Goodman maintained his New York connections and wrote for , and McGraw Hill publications. He had a special ability of interpreting the West for an Eastern audience. Jack also worked with Evans Advertising Agency, and KDYL in Salt Lake City.

The project Jack loved the most was his weekly column "Cityview." Featured in the "Utah Views" section of Sunday paper from 1984-2001, the column spotlighted homes and buildings with historical and personal significance. The column combined Goodman's passions for historical architecture, drawing, and writing. Most of his articles featured buildings in Utah, but occasionally he ventured outside of the state to present other buildings to Utah readers. The Utah State Historical Society exhibited Goodman's pen and ink illustrations of Utah architecture, and the drawings were compiled in the book (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1995).

Jack Goodman's column gave an outsider's perspective to buildings that Utah residents passed by everyday and took for granted. He exposed obscure structures and shed new light on historic landmarks. Although academics write and discuss such topics, Goodman's chatty, interesting articles and beautiful drawings made historic architecture accessible to a mass audience.