Houseman, John.

Biography

Born Jacques Haussmann in Bucharest, Romania on September 22, 1902, of a Alsatian father and English mother; attended Clifton College Preparatory School, Bristol, England, 1916-1918; moved to U.S. in 1924; was grain export businessman while doing freelance writing and translating plays; entered theatrical production and direction upon collapse of stock market; by early 1930s was writing, producing and directing for New York stage; supervised Federal Theatre Project's Negro Theatre Project; taught at Vassar; founded Mercury Theater with Orson Welles in 1937, and collaborated with Welles on the radio series The Mercury theatre of the air ; collaborated on screenplay of Citizen Kane, and in 1941 became vice-president of David O. Selznick productions; chief of overseas radio division, Bureau of the Office of War Information, 1942-43; producer of film, television, and stage productions; artistic director of American Shakespeare Festival Theatre and Academy in Stratford, Connecticut, 1956-1959; artistic director of Theatre Group of Los Angeles in 1960s, which became nucleus of Center Theatre Group of Los Angeles; director of drama division of Juilliard School, New York City, 1967-1976; founder of the Acting Company in New York City, 1972; received Oscar for role in Paper Chase ; acted in television show of same name; died October 31, 1988.

From the guide to the John Houseman Papers, 1930-1989, (University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.)