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Brock Pemberton

April 25, 2024

For the baseball player of the same name, see Brock Pemberton (baseball).

Brock Pemberton (December 14, 1885 – March 11, 1950) was an American theatrical producer, director and founder of the Tony Awards. He was the professional partner of Antoinette Perry, co-founder of the American Theatre Wing,[1] and he was also a member of the Algonquin Round Table.[2]

Brock Pemberton
Brock Pemberton
Born
Ralph Brock Pemberton

(1885-12-14)December 14, 1885
Leavenworth, Kansas, U.S.
DiedMarch 11, 1950(1950-03-11) (aged 64)
New York City, New York, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Kansas
Alma materCollege of Emporia
Occupations
  • Theatre producer
  • theatre director
  • stage actor
  • journalist
Known forFounding the Tony Awards
Notable workHarvey
Spouse
Margaret McCoy
​
(m. 1915⁠–⁠1950)​
RelativesVictor Murdock (uncle)
Awards

Early years edit

He was born Ralph Brock Pemberton[3] in Leavenworth, Kansas,[4] the third of four children to Albert Pemberton and Ella Murdock.[5] He had two older sisters and a younger brother, Murdock Pemberton,[5] who became a writer and playwright. Pemberton's family had moved to Emporia, Kansas by 1895, where he attended Union Street School then Emporia High School.[6][7] He was the valedictorian of his high school graduating class during May 1902.[8]

Colleges and Kansas newspaper work edit

He entered the College of Emporia on a scholarship during late summer 1902.[9] During his sophomore year he played football[10] and was Athletic editor of the college weekly paper.[11] During the summer of 1904 he worked on the Coffeyville Daily Record, in Coffeyville, Kansas, a paper recently purchased by his cousin Roland Murdock.[12] The following summer he worked on the Kansas City Globe in Kansas City, Kansas.[13] After one term at Yale University[fn 1] during the fall of 1906,[14] he returned to Emporia to work on the Emporia Gazette.[15]

The owner-editor of that newspaper, William Allen White, had previously employed Pemberton during the summer of 1906 before he left for Yale.[15] White had gotten his start on a newspaper owned by Pemberton's maternal relatives the Murdocks, and supported the political ambitions of Pemberton's uncle Victor Murdock, owner-editor of the Wichita Eagle.[16] By April 1907 Pemberton was enrolled in the School of Journalism at the University of Kansas,[17] while still working for The Emporia Gazette.[18] He pledged Phi Delta Theta fraternity[fn 2] upon returning to the University of Kansas in September 1907,[19] and joined the Dramatic Club.[20] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in June 1908.[21]

During the next two years Pemberton worked full-time for the Emporia Gazette, becoming White's star reporter[22] then city editor by August 1909.[23] A long profile he wrote of the folksy poet Walt Mason was carried by newspapers across the country in early 1910.[24][25] In April 1910 he left Kansas to take up what he thought was a position on The Sun in New York City.[26]

New York newspapers edit

Upon arriving in New York, Pemberton found out The Sun position didn't exist, but was able to get a job on the Evening Mail, reporting on harbor traffic and shipping.[27] He later became drama critic for the Evening Mail, then assistant drama critic on the New York World, before becoming Alexander Woollcott's assistant in The New York Times drama department.[27]

Stage career edit

Pemberton directed and produced the American premiere of Luigi Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author in 1922,[28] as well as its first Broadway revival two years later.[29] In 1926, he produced and directed a Sam Janney play[30] that became the film Loose Ankles in 1930, starring a young Loretta Young and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. In 1929 he produced and directed Preston Sturges' play Strictly Dishonorable, which was filmed twice, in 1931 and again in 1951.

Among his other productions was Miss Lulu Bett, whose writer Zona Gale became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Drama, Personal Appearance by Lawrence Riley, which was a Broadway hit and was later turned into the film Go West, Young Man and Harvey, Mary Chase's play about a man whose best friend is a large imaginary rabbit, later made into a film starring Jimmy Stewart.

Pemberton gave the Antoinette Perry Award its nickname, the Tony. As Perry's official biography at the Tony Awards website states, "At [Warner Bros. story editor] Jacob Wilk's suggestion, [Pemberton] proposed an award in her honor for distinguished stage acting and technical achievement. At the initial event in 1947, as he handed out an award, he called it a Tony. The name stuck.[1]

From February 28, 1950 thru March 5, 1950, Pemberton played the lead in a production of Harvey at the Sombrero Playhouse in Phoenix, Arizona.[31] Six days later he died at home from a heart attack.[32]

Months after his death in 1950, a Tony Award was given to him posthumously in recognition of his role as the founder and the original chairman of the Tony Awards.

Bibliography edit

  • Pemberton, Brock (January 2, 1926). "A prince of Broadway". Profiles. The New Yorker. Vol. 1, no. 46. pp. 11–12.[33]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Despite spending four years at the College of Emporia, Pemberton had not earned a degree there.
  2. ^ William Allen White was a member of the same fraternity and a regent of the university.

References edit

  1. ^ a b Nassour, Ellis. "Who Is 'Tony'". TonyAwards.com. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
  2. ^ . Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
  3. ^ "High School Graduating Exercises". Emporia Gazette. Emporia, Kansas. May 31, 1902. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ U.S. Passport Applications, 1792-1925 for Brock Pemberton, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  5. ^ a b 1900 United States Federal Census for Brock Pemberton, Kansas > Lyon > Emporia Ward 02 > District 0070, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  6. ^ "Additional Local". Emporia Gazette. Emporia, Kansas. December 20, 1895. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "High School Notes". Emporia Daily Republican. Emporia, Kansas. October 15, 1900. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Graduates at Emporia". The Topeka Herald. Topeka, Kansas. May 30, 1902. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Haps and Mishaps". College Life. Emporia, Kansas. June 6, 1902. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "College Won a Game". Emporia Gazette. Emporia, Kansas. October 8, 1903. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "(Masthead)". College Life. Emporia, Kansas. Oct 30, 1903. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Brookens New Job". Emporia Weekly Gazette. Emporia, Kansas. June 2, 1904. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Lakeside". Emporia Gazette. Emporia, Kansas. July 5, 1905. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Personal Notes". The Topeka Herald. Topeka, Kansas. August 26, 1906. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ a b "By the Way". College Life. Emporia, Kansas. January 25, 1907. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Griffith, Sally Foreman (1989). Home Town News: William Allen White and the Emporia Gazatte. Oxford University Press. p. 188. ISBN 0-19-505589-6.
  17. ^ "K. U. Students as Editors". Hamilton Grit. Hamilton, Kansas. April 24, 1907. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Mathonians of the Past". College Life. Emporia, Kansas. May 17, 1907. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Fraternity Pledges". Lawrence Daily World. Lawrence, Kansas. September 19, 1907. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Play Cast Chosen". University Daily Kansan. Lawrence, Kansas. November 26, 1907. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "K. U. Graduates of 1908". Lawrence Daily Journal. Lawrence, Kansas. June 5, 1908. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Griffith, Sally Foreman (1989). Home Town News: William Allen White and the Emporia Gazatte. Oxford University Press. p. 182. ISBN 0-19-505589-6.
  23. ^ "Local News". The Wellington Daily News. Wellington, Kansas. August 14, 1909. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Pemberton, Brock (February 20, 1910). ""Uncle Walt" Mason, The Poet Philosopher". The Decatur Herald. Decatur, Illinois. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Pemberton, Brock (February 22, 1910). ""Uncle Walt" Mason, The Poet Philosopher". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Oread News Notes". University Daily Kansan. Lawrence, Kansas. April 9, 1910. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ a b "Pemberton Dies at Age 64". The Wichita Eagle. Wichita, Kansas. March 12, 1950. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Six Characters in Search of an Author" (1922) at the Internet Broadway Database
  29. ^ "Six Character in Search of an Author" (1924) at the Internet Broadway Database
  30. ^ Loose Ankles a Broadway play at Biltmore Theatre Aug. 1926-Jan. 1927
  31. ^ Ferrell, Carol (March 1, 1950). "Harvey's Visit To Sombrero Creates Uproar In Phoenix". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "Brock Pemberton Dies At Home In New York". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. March 12, 1950. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ Profiles Joe Leblang, discount theatre ticket seller.

External links edit

April 25, 2024
brock, pemberton, baseball, player, same, name, baseball, december, 1885, march, 1950, american, theatrical, producer, director, founder, tony, awards, professional, partner, antoinette, perry, founder, american, theatre, wing, also, member, algonquin, round, . For the baseball player of the same name see Brock Pemberton baseball Brock Pemberton December 14 1885 March 11 1950 was an American theatrical producer director and founder of the Tony Awards He was the professional partner of Antoinette Perry co founder of the American Theatre Wing 1 and he was also a member of the Algonquin Round Table 2 Brock PembertonBrock PembertonBornRalph Brock Pemberton 1885 12 14 December 14 1885Leavenworth Kansas U S DiedMarch 11 1950 1950 03 11 aged 64 New York City New York U S EducationUniversity of KansasAlma materCollege of EmporiaOccupationsTheatre producertheatre directorstage actorjournalistKnown forFounding the Tony AwardsNotable workHarveySpouseMargaret McCoy m 1915 1950 wbr RelativesVictor Murdock uncle AwardsSpecial Tony Award 1950 Contents 1 Early years 2 Colleges and Kansas newspaper work 3 New York newspapers 4 Stage career 5 Bibliography 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksEarly years editHe was born Ralph Brock Pemberton 3 in Leavenworth Kansas 4 the third of four children to Albert Pemberton and Ella Murdock 5 He had two older sisters and a younger brother Murdock Pemberton 5 who became a writer and playwright Pemberton s family had moved to Emporia Kansas by 1895 where he attended Union Street School then Emporia High School 6 7 He was the valedictorian of his high school graduating class during May 1902 8 Colleges and Kansas newspaper work editHe entered the College of Emporia on a scholarship during late summer 1902 9 During his sophomore year he played football 10 and was Athletic editor of the college weekly paper 11 During the summer of 1904 he worked on the Coffeyville Daily Record in Coffeyville Kansas a paper recently purchased by his cousin Roland Murdock 12 The following summer he worked on the Kansas City Globe in Kansas City Kansas 13 After one term at Yale University fn 1 during the fall of 1906 14 he returned to Emporia to work on the Emporia Gazette 15 The owner editor of that newspaper William Allen White had previously employed Pemberton during the summer of 1906 before he left for Yale 15 White had gotten his start on a newspaper owned by Pemberton s maternal relatives the Murdocks and supported the political ambitions of Pemberton s uncle Victor Murdock owner editor of the Wichita Eagle 16 By April 1907 Pemberton was enrolled in the School of Journalism at the University of Kansas 17 while still working for The Emporia Gazette 18 He pledged Phi Delta Theta fraternity fn 2 upon returning to the University of Kansas in September 1907 19 and joined the Dramatic Club 20 He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in June 1908 21 During the next two years Pemberton worked full time for the Emporia Gazette becoming White s star reporter 22 then city editor by August 1909 23 A long profile he wrote of the folksy poet Walt Mason was carried by newspapers across the country in early 1910 24 25 In April 1910 he left Kansas to take up what he thought was a position on The Sun in New York City 26 New York newspapers editUpon arriving in New York Pemberton found out The Sun position didn t exist but was able to get a job on the Evening Mail reporting on harbor traffic and shipping 27 He later became drama critic for the Evening Mail then assistant drama critic on the New York World before becoming Alexander Woollcott s assistant in The New York Times drama department 27 Stage career editPemberton directed and produced the American premiere of Luigi Pirandello s Six Characters in Search of an Author in 1922 28 as well as its first Broadway revival two years later 29 In 1926 he produced and directed a Sam Janney play 30 that became the film Loose Ankles in 1930 starring a young Loretta Young and Douglas Fairbanks Jr In 1929 he produced and directed Preston Sturges play Strictly Dishonorable which was filmed twice in 1931 and again in 1951 Among his other productions was Miss Lulu Bett whose writer Zona Gale became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Drama Personal Appearance by Lawrence Riley which was a Broadway hit and was later turned into the film Go West Young Man and Harvey Mary Chase s play about a man whose best friend is a large imaginary rabbit later made into a film starring Jimmy Stewart Pemberton gave the Antoinette Perry Award its nickname the Tony As Perry s official biography at the Tony Awards website states At Warner Bros story editor Jacob Wilk s suggestion Pemberton proposed an award in her honor for distinguished stage acting and technical achievement At the initial event in 1947 as he handed out an award he called it a Tony The name stuck 1 From February 28 1950 thru March 5 1950 Pemberton played the lead in a production of Harvey at the Sombrero Playhouse in Phoenix Arizona 31 Six days later he died at home from a heart attack 32 Months after his death in 1950 a Tony Award was given to him posthumously in recognition of his role as the founder and the original chairman of the Tony Awards Bibliography editThis list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items December 2023 Pemberton Brock January 2 1926 A prince of Broadway Profiles The New Yorker Vol 1 no 46 pp 11 12 33 Notes edit Despite spending four years at the College of Emporia Pemberton had not earned a degree there William Allen White was a member of the same fraternity and a regent of the university References edit a b Nassour Ellis Who Is Tony TonyAwards com Retrieved 2007 05 13 Members of the Algonquin Round Table Archived from the original on 2011 09 29 Retrieved 2010 02 12 High School Graduating Exercises Emporia Gazette Emporia Kansas May 31 1902 p 1 via Newspapers com U S Passport Applications 1792 1925 for Brock Pemberton retrieved from Ancestry com a b 1900 United States Federal Census for Brock Pemberton Kansas gt Lyon gt Emporia Ward 02 gt District 0070 retrieved from Ancestry com Additional Local Emporia Gazette Emporia Kansas December 20 1895 p 2 via Newspapers com High School Notes Emporia Daily Republican Emporia Kansas October 15 1900 p 1 via Newspapers com Graduates at Emporia The Topeka Herald Topeka Kansas May 30 1902 p 3 via Newspapers com Haps and Mishaps College Life Emporia Kansas June 6 1902 p 9 via Newspapers com College Won a Game Emporia Gazette Emporia Kansas October 8 1903 p 8 via Newspapers com Masthead College Life Emporia Kansas Oct 30 1903 p 4 via Newspapers com Brookens New Job Emporia Weekly Gazette Emporia Kansas June 2 1904 p 8 via Newspapers com Lakeside Emporia Gazette Emporia Kansas July 5 1905 p 6 via Newspapers com Personal Notes The Topeka Herald Topeka Kansas August 26 1906 p 6 via Newspapers com a b By the Way College Life Emporia Kansas January 25 1907 p 7 via Newspapers com Griffith Sally Foreman 1989 Home Town News William Allen White and the Emporia Gazatte Oxford University Press p 188 ISBN 0 19 505589 6 K U Students as Editors Hamilton Grit Hamilton Kansas April 24 1907 p 6 via Newspapers com Mathonians of the Past College Life Emporia Kansas May 17 1907 p 3 via Newspapers com Fraternity Pledges Lawrence Daily World Lawrence Kansas September 19 1907 p 1 via Newspapers com Play Cast Chosen University Daily Kansan Lawrence Kansas November 26 1907 p 2 via Newspapers com K U Graduates of 1908 Lawrence Daily Journal Lawrence Kansas June 5 1908 p 3 via Newspapers com Griffith Sally Foreman 1989 Home Town News William Allen White and the Emporia Gazatte Oxford University Press p 182 ISBN 0 19 505589 6 Local News The Wellington Daily News Wellington Kansas August 14 1909 p 3 via Newspapers com Pemberton Brock February 20 1910 Uncle Walt Mason The Poet Philosopher The Decatur Herald Decatur Illinois p 6 via Newspapers com Pemberton Brock February 22 1910 Uncle Walt Mason The Poet Philosopher Democrat and Chronicle Rochester New York p 16 via Newspapers com Oread News Notes University Daily Kansan Lawrence Kansas April 9 1910 p 4 via Newspapers com a b Pemberton Dies at Age 64 The Wichita Eagle Wichita Kansas March 12 1950 p 4 via Newspapers com Six Characters in Search of an Author 1922 at the Internet Broadway Database Six Character in Search of an Author 1924 at the Internet Broadway Database Loose Ankles a Broadway play at Biltmore Theatre Aug 1926 Jan 1927 Ferrell Carol March 1 1950 Harvey s Visit To Sombrero Creates Uproar In Phoenix The Arizona Republic Phoenix Arizona p 6 via Newspapers com Brock Pemberton Dies At Home In New York The Arizona Republic Phoenix Arizona March 12 1950 p 1 via Newspapers com Profiles Joe Leblang discount theatre ticket seller External links editBrock Pemberton at the Internet Broadway Database nbsp Brock Pemberton at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Brock Pemberton amp oldid 1192480758, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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