Frederick O'Neal papers, 1914-2001 (bulk ca. 1940-1991).

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Frederick O'Neal papers, 1914-2001 (bulk ca. 1940-1991).

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/122465733

The Frederick O'Neal Papers document the theatrical, labor and civic activities of this actor and labor leader, with emphasis on the 1940s through the 1990s. The collection consists primarily of personal papers, correspondence files, his speeches and addresses, writings, and information about the theatrical productions in which he appeared, in addition to scripts. There are also research material about the 19th century African-American actor, Ira Aldridge and files pertaining to the many organizations with which O'Neal was associated. The Personal Papers series, 1914-2001, encompasses resumes, interviews, news clippings and other printed material. Most of the correspondence is with the many organizations with which he had long-standing relationships as a board member, contributor, or in some other capacity. Much of the general correspondence includes invitations to various conferences, panels and lectures, and to events and gatherings held by politicians. The Speeches and Addresses series, 1960's-1990 contains the speeches and research material O'Neal used to prepare the speeches. Most of the topics he dealt with concern African-American contributions to American theater, racial discrimination in American theater, and the progress of integration in the theater and trade unions. The series Writings, 1930-1987, consists of published articles along with drafts and research material for the articles O'Neal wrote about black actors in the United States, American labor unions and actors, labor unions in Israel, the role of the arts in American society, and a series of articles regarding integration in the theater. The Theatrical Career series, 1928-1991, includes productions in which O'Neal was involved, i.e. dramatic reading, films, plays, radio, sound recordings and television. Of interest are correspondence and reviews for the film version of "Anna Lucasta." Material for the many plays O'Neal produced consists variously of play scripts, correspondence, programs, reviews, budget, agreements, and for American Negro Theatre (ANT) productions, a scrapbook. There is a significant amount of information devoted to the ANT production of "Anna Lucasta," as well as the productions in England and Scotland (1947-1948) . This series contains playbills and programs for a variety of productions in which O'Neal was featured as well as for lectures that he gave nationwide, 1928-1991. Scripts, 1948-1969, primarily by such African-American playwrights as Owen Dodson, Gertrude Jeannette, George Norford, and Shauneille Perry, as well as white playwrights form part of this series. The Ira Aldridge Research Material series, 1955-1992, pertains to research O'Neal and several scholars conducted that resulted in publications. The material includes correspondence between O'Neal and the scholars, research material, and a manuscript or the actual publication, when available. The Organizations series, 1925-1991, contains files devoted to theater and arts organizations, including the Afro-American Guild of Performing Arts, the American Negro Theatre, the Catholic Actors Guild, the Founding Committee for the Establishment of the American Negro Theatre (1962-1967), the Harlem Cultural Council and the Negro Actors Guild. Labor organizations with which he was intimately involved include the Actors' Equity Association. Equity files, 1946-1982, pertain to efforts to integrate black actors in New York and Washington, D.C. productions (1950's), integrating hotels for actors in traveling productions, and blacklisting of actors in the 1950's. Files reflect O'Neal's AFL-CIO vice presidency from 1969-1989 and his position as chairman of its Civil Rights Committee. He also maintained files for the African-American Labor Center, and from 1950-1957 during the period O'Neal was a board member, there are correspondence and press releases condemning AWARE, Inc., a group formed to combat communism in the entertainment world that assisted blacklisted performers by publicly defending them. Files document some of O'Neal's long association as president of the AFL-CIO affiliate, the Associated Actors and Artistes of America (the 4A's), the primary association of trade unions for performing artists in the United States. The Cultural and Civic Organizations material, 1952-1992, contains O'Neal's files for organizations that are neither theatrical nor labor-oriented, for which he served as a board member or in some other capacity; many of the organizations pertain to Africa and to African Americans.

22.2 lin. ft. (8 cartons, 30 archival boxes, 4 1/2 archival boxes, 3 print boxes)

New York Public Library System, NYPL

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 6723997

New York Public Library System, NYPL

Related Entities

There are 18 Entities related to this resource.

AFL-CIO

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The AFL and CIO merged in 1955 as an umbrella organization for skilled trade and industrial unions. Its regional office in Baltimore represented worker interests against this railroad merger. From the description of AFL-CIO response to merger of Pennsylvania and New York Central railroads, 1962-1963. (Pennsylvania State University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 238572652 Created by merger of American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955. ...

Harlem Cultural Council

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w67m4w5q (corporateBody)

Aldridge, Ira Frederick, -1867

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Actors' Equity Association

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Norford, George, 1918-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6w98t1d (person)

Negro Actors Guild of America

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The Negro Actors Guild was established in 1936 in New York City as a welfare and benevolent organization for black performers. The Guild was composed of six committees: finance, administrative, membership, entertainment, sick and welfare, with an executive board to oversee the activities of the committees. The finance committee kept records of all expenditures accrued; the administrative committee's duties were to oversee all office procedures; the membership committee s...

Simms, Hilda, 1918-1994

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Hilda Simms (1920-1994), actress, was best known for playing the title role in the American Negro Theater production of "Anna Lucasta" which moved successfully to Broadway in 1944. Her acting career also included film, television and radio broadcasts. During the 1960s and 1970s, Simms worked for creative arts and drug treatment programs in New York. From the description of Hilda Simms papers, 1937-1994. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122485093 ...

African-American Labor Center

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O'Neal, Frederick, 1905-1992

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6wm1j4w (person)

Frederick O'Neal was an African-American actor and director in theater, motion pictures, radio and television, as well as a labor leader in performing arts unions. Primarily a character actor, O'Neal began his career in St. Louis, Mo., where he organized the Aldridge Players. After more than ten years of acting in road companies throughout the West and Midwest, in 1936 O'Neal settled in New York City. In 1940, together with Abram Hill, he co-founded the American Negro Theatre (ANT) ...

Jeannette, Gertrude, 1914-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64x8r5r (person)

Playwright, producer, director, and actress of the stage and screen, Gertrude Hadley Jeannette, was born in Urbana, Arkansas, on November 28, 1914, to Willis Lawrence Hadley and Salley Gertrude Crawford Hadley. Jeannette was raised in Arkansas where she attended Dunbar High School in Little Rock. Just before her high school graduation, Jeannette decided that she wanted to get married instead of attending Fisk University, as she had previously planned; she and Joe Jeannette, II, a prizefighter an...

Afro-American Guild of Performing Artists

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6kd896p (corporateBody)

Associated Actors and Artists of America.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6g22c4z (corporateBody)

Coordinating Council for Negro Performers

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65n2j1r (corporateBody)

American Negro Theatre

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6jb0454 (corporateBody)

The American Negro Theatre (ANT) co-founded by Frederick O'Neal and Abram Hill, was established to provide black actors, playwrights, directors and other theatre-related professionals with opportunities to work in productions that illustrated the diversity of black life. ANT's program was essentially divided into three categories: stage productions, a training program and radio programs. From 1940-1949, nineteen plays, twelve of them original, were produced by ANT. "On S...

Dodson, Owen, 1914-1983

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6v69rjb (person)

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...

Catholic Interracial Council (New York, N.Y.)

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Perry, Shauneille.

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American Federation of Television and Radio Artists

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The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), founded in 1952, is a union of approximately 70,000 members representing professional actors, journalists, dancers, singers, announcers, hosts, comedians, and disc jockeys from numerous media industries, including television, radio, cable, sound recordings, video productions, commercials, audio books, non-broadcast industrials, interactive games, internet productions, and other digital media. The union trac...