Dodson, Owen, 1914-1983

Variant names

Hide Profile

Owen Dodson was a playwright and author.

From the description of Owen Dodson Collection 1936-1951. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80551547

From the description of Owen Dodson Collection 1936-1951. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702148305

African American author, poet, playwright, and professor of drama at Howard University; died 1983.

From the description of Owen Dodson papers, 1930-1968. (Moorland-Spingarn Resource Center). WorldCat record id: 741522194

Owen Dodson (1914-1983) was an African American playwright, director, and poet who served for many years as professor of drama at Howard University, where he became known as the "Dean of Black Theater." He graduated from Bates College in 1936 and then studied at Yale Drama School, graduating with an MFA in 1939. He served briefly in the United States Navy, producing plays designed to improve the morale of Black seamen. During this period, and throughout his career, he both wrote and directed plays and also served as a teacher of drama. Dodson was also a poet and novelist.

From the description of Owen Dodson papers. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 706098605

  • 1914: Born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Sarah Elizabeth Goode and Nathaniel Barnett Dodson
  • 1932: Graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, Brooklyn
  • 1936: B.A. degree from Bates College, Lewiston, Maine; elected to Phi Beta Kappa
  • 1938: 1939: Received fellowships from General Education Board
  • 1938 - 1942 : Directed drama at Atlanta University and Spellman College, Atlanta, Georgia
  • 1939: Master of Fine Arts, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
  • 1940: Won Anderson Award for Verse Drama for his Garden of Time
  • 1941: Won contest sponsored by the Committee on Interracial Cooperation, Atlanta, Georgia, for his Gargoyles in Florida
  • 1942: Directed drama at Hampton Institute, Hampton, Va.
  • 1942 - 43 : Served in U.S. Navy (Seaman I/C) during which time he directed a morale building program and wrote several verse dramas
  • 1944: Awarded Rosenwald Foundation Fellowship
  • 1946: His Powerful Long Ladder, a book of poems was published
  • 1947: Appointed Associate Professor of the Department of Drama, College of Fine Arts, Howard University
  • 1949: Under the auspices of the Department of State toured Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Germany with his Howard University Players
  • 1951: His Boy at the Window, a novel, was published
  • 1953: Awarded Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship "for creative activity in the field of fiction."
  • 1955: Won prize in international short story contest sponsored by Paris Revue for The Summer Fire
  • 1960: Promoted to full Professor, Department of Drama, College of Fine Arts, Howard University
  • 1963: Toured the United States with his Howard University Players
  • 1964: Named member of National Committee of the Shakespeare Anniversary Committee to plan the American celebration of the Shakespeare Quadricentennial
  • 1967: Received Doctor of Letters degree from Bates College Mr. Dodson's plays have been performed by theatre groups throughout this country and in England. His poems, plays and fiction have been translated into French, Polish, Italian, Japanese and Norwegian.

From the guide to the Owen Vincent Dodson Papers, 1930-1968, (Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Arna Bontemps Papers, 1927-1968 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Hatch-Billops Collection of oral histories, [ca. 1965-1980]. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Alice Childress papers, 1937-1997 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section
creatorOf Dodson, Owen, 1914-1983. Owen Dodson papers. Emory University. Special Collections and Archives
creatorOf Dodson, Owen, 1914-. Divine comedy / Owen Dodson ; a production book. Yale University Library
referencedIn Cullen, Countee, 1903-1946. The Countee Cullen/Harold Jackman Memorial Collection. Atlanta University Center, Robert W. Woodruff Library
creatorOf O'Neal, Frederick, 1905-1992. Frederick O'Neal papers, 1914-2001 (bulk ca. 1940-1991). New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Langston Hughes papers, 1862-1980 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Ben Shaktman Papers, 1949-2009 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Dover, Cedric. Cedric Dover papers, circa 1920-1962. Emory University. Special Collections and Archives
referencedIn Frank Silvera Writers Workshop records, 1973-1992 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section
referencedIn Tiger's Eye records, 1939-1955 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Owen Vincent Dodson Papers, 1930-1968 Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University
referencedIn Owen Dodson collection, 1943-1984 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section
creatorOf Dodson, Owen, 1914-. Garden of time / Owen Dodson ; a production book. Yale University Library
creatorOf Gordon, Sol,. Owen Dodson collection, 1943-1984. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Hall, Ed, 1931-1991. Ed Hall papers, 1944-1991. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Billops, Camille. Camille Billops and James V. Hatch archives at Emory University. Emory University. Special Collections and Archives
referencedIn Gordon Heath Papers MS 372., 1913-1992, 1942-1979 Special Collections and University Archives, UMass Amherst Libraries
creatorOf Frank Silvera Writers Workshop records, 1973-1992. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Frederick O'Neal papers, 1914-2001, ca. 1940-1991 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section
referencedIn Atlanta University Photographs Atlanta University Center, Robert W. Woodruff Library
referencedIn Priebe, Karl J., 1914-1976. Papers, [ca. 1900]-1978, bulk 1940-1976. Library of Congress
referencedIn Yaddo records, 1870-1980 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Dodson, Owen, 1914-. Owen Dodson papers, 1930-1968. Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University
creatorOf Damas, Léon-Gontran, 1912-1978. Léon-Gontran Damas papers, 1949-1978. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Helen Armstead-Johnson miscellaneous theater collections, 1831-1993 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section
creatorOf Owen Dodson Collection, 1936-1951 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Heath, Gordon, 1918-1991. Gordon Heath papers, 1913-1992 (bulk 1942-1979). University of Massachusetts Amherst, W.E.B. Du Bois Library
creatorOf Childress, Alice. Alice Childress papers, 1937-1997. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Johnson, Helen A. Helen Armstead-Johnson miscellaneous theater collections, 1831-1993. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Tiger's eye records, 1939-1955. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Cullen, Countee, 1903-1946. Papers. 1921-1979. Tulane University, Amistad Research Center
referencedIn Léon-Gontran Damas papers, 1949-1978 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Atlanta University Center (Ga.) corporateBody
associatedWith Bontemps, Arna, 1902-1973 person
associatedWith Childress, Alice. person
associatedWith Clark, Peggy. person
associatedWith Cullen, Countee, 1903-1946. person
associatedWith Damas, Léon-Gontran, 1912-1978. person
associatedWith Davis, Ossie person
associatedWith Dover, Cedric. person
associatedWith Du Bois, Shirley Graham, 1896-1977. person
associatedWith Evanti, Lillian, 1890-1967 person
associatedWith Frank Silvera Writers Workshop. corporateBody
associatedWith Gordon, Sol person
associatedWith Gordon, Sol, person
associatedWith Hall, Ed, 1931-1991. person
associatedWith Hatch-Billops Collection, Inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Hatch, James Vernon, 1928- person
associatedWith Heath, Gordon, 1918-1991 person
associatedWith Howard University. corporateBody
associatedWith Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967. person
associatedWith Johnson, Helen A. person
associatedWith Mamorsky, Morris. person
associatedWith O'Neal, Frederick, 1905-1992. person
associatedWith Priebe, Karl J., 1914-1976. person
associatedWith Shaktman, Ben, 1937- person
associatedWith Yaddo (Artist's colony) corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Washington (D.C.)
Subject
Theater
African American authors
African American authors
African American college teachers
Authors, American
Authors, American
Drama festivals
Prompt-book
Sopranos (Singers)
Workshops (Seminars)
Occupation
African American poets
Male dramatists
Activity

Person

Birth 1914-11-28

Death 1983-06-21

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6v69rjb

Ark ID: w6v69rjb

SNAC ID: 57430661