Rudy Mutter, author of A Different World, grew up in Easthampton, Massachusetts during the 1930s and 1940s; graduating from Easthampton High School in 1945, Williston Academy in 1946 and the University of Massachusetts in 1950. He served in the US Air Force during the Korean War, and was a member of the reserves for a number of years, being discharged as a Captain.

Much of his business career was spent first with American Standard, for thirteen years, starting as a Retailing Representative and finally as a Product Manager in the Plumbing & Heating Division. He then became a Product Manager in the Foodservice Division at the Nestle Company, and left eleven years later as the Division Marketing Manager for the Specialty Foods Division. Later, he did executive recruiting and was Media Director for a New York advertising agency.

For the past eleven years, as president of the Sunrise Group in South Hadley, Massachusetts, Mutter has been a marketing, advertising and management consultant.

He has been active in community affairs; serving as a member of the Representative Town Meeting in both Easthampton and Westport, Connecticut, a member of the Westport Republican Town Committee, a member and Chairman of the Westport Board of Education and founder, long time member and Chairman of the Board of the Saugatuck Nursery School in Westport. He continues to be very active in his church.

Mutter, and his wife Tish, developed and managed Swift River Tree Farm in New Hampshire, and he is a Certified Tree Farmer. He is a member of the American Forestry Association, Appalachian Mountain Club, C & O Canal Association, The Society For the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and the Wonalancet Outdoor Club.

He has been married to Letitia (Tish) Noss Mutter for fifty years. They have three children and three grandsons.