Harry Behn was born September 24, 1898, in McCabe, Yavapai County, Arizona, the son of Henry K. Behn, a miner, and Maren (Christensen) Behn. He graduated from Harvard University with an Bachelor of Science. in 1922. He worked as a screen writer for motion pictures, including The Racket in 1928 and Hell's Angels in 1930. Behn taught writing at the University of Arizona from 1938 to 1947 and founded the University of Arizona Press in 1960.