USA > Ohio > Women of Ohio; a record of their achievements in the history of the state, Volume III > Part 8
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Today, ANNETTA JOHNSON ST. GAUDENS, almost 70, is back at the Columbus Art School. Her husband and his brother have been dead for a number of years. Her only son, a well known potter, is married and lives in Cornish, New Hampshire, where Annetta has had a studio for many years. She is back in Columbus now to stay. At the Columbus Art School she has been given a corner in one of the modeling class rooms where she works eight hours a day. In the summers she teaches a class in modeling at Camp Mary Orton, a part of the Johnson farm and now a camp for underprivileged mothers and children. She has a deep interest in this camp, having donated the land for its use, a number of years ago. She loves to dig her fingers into the familiar clay with which the camp abounds and the boys and girls who fashion crude animals under her tutelage love to hear her tell of those early days when there was no camp-when there were no boys and girls swarming joyously over the hills and dales of the Johnson farm. When a lonely little dark haired girl would slip out of the farm house to escape the chores and sit by the clay bank, hour upon hour, fashioning animals and dreaming of the day when she would be a great sculptor and would win the acclaim of the world.
MARY PERRIN THAYER
MARY PERRIN THAYER, curator of Taft Museum, Cincinnati Fine Arts Institute, was born at Worcester, Mass., the daughter of John R. and Lora Holmes Thayer. She attended the National Cathedral School, Wash- ington, D. C., and did post graduate work at Harvard and at Columbia Universities.
Taft Museum was established through gift by the late Charles P. Taft and Annie Sinton Taft of their splendid paintings and objects of art to the city of Cincinnati. It was under direction of the Institute and special effort was made to obtain the services of a curator whose ability and training were adequate to the important task. Miss Thayer was formerly head of the edu- cational department of Worcester Art Museum and as such had excellent experiences not only in education for art appreciation but also in cataloguing and exhibition work. Since her appointment to the Taft Museum she has compiled many brochures and booklets and has written a variety of articles which have won general recognition. She is also a connoiseur in modern art, collection of which is one of her special interests.
ADINA E. WHITE
ADINA E. WHITE, of Cincinnati, her native city, was so far as is known, the first woman of her race to become expert in the art of wood carving.
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Adina attended the Cincinnati Art Museum and was said to have been outstanding student in the classes of the late Ben Pitman. Under the direction of this many-sided genius, she with other pupils, carved the panels of the great organ at Music Hall.
This led to commissions for carving altars, road screens and other fine pieces in various churches of Cincinnati, Covington, Ky., and Indianapolis, Indiana.
Presently Adina was carving the finest of the output of a leading piano manufacturing firm. She continued in this employment until opportunity was presented to still further develop her talent at the Boston (Mass.) School of Technology.
Miss White died in Boston about ten years ago.
WOMEN OF STAGE AND SCREEN
EDNA AUG
The gift of creating laughter, of lightening life with gayety and fun, is the contribution made to achievements of the women of Ohio by EDNA AUG, noted stage figure. A native of Cincinnati, she delighted audiences of the nineties as a vaudeville comedienne, reaching, in the hey-day of her success, the pinnacle of a command performance in London.
In Cincinnati she played comedy sketches in almost every theatre. Her favorite was a "scrub woman" monologue, written by herself, which rocked thousands with mirth. She toured in the east and abroad. In all, she made seventeen trips to Europe, attaining great popularity in London, Paris and other European cities. She was an accomplished linguist, speaking several languages.
She numbered among her friends many persons not of the stage, including, among others, Booth Tarkington, O. O. McIntyre, Harry Leon Wilson, Edna Ferber and Fannie Hurst, who, it is said, received from Edna Aug the plots for her novel, "Back Street," and the story, "Mother Knows Best."
Leaving Cincinnati, where her sisters and brothers still reside, about thirty years ago, she had no settled residence, until she purchased in 1932 a large estate in the Catskill Mountains, near Woodstock, N. Y., where she recently died, at the age of 60.
THEDA BARA
The vampire of the screen in its early days was sloe-eyed, svelte THEDA BARA, who, when she lived in Cincinnati, was known only as Theodosia
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Goodman. She lived in Avondale and in Mt. Auburn, and her Cincinnati friends became her loyal fans when fame smiled on her.
Miss Bara achieved her greatest success as a William Fox star, particu- larly in the productions, "A Fool There Was," "Cleopatra," "Carmen," and "Camille." When she left the screen she became the wife of Charles Brabin, noted film director.
She made a screen comeback, but soon retired again to private life. She returned to her home city in the fall of 1920, in a stage production, "The Blue Flame" and was given an ovation.
MRS. LOREN BECK
MRS. LOREN BECK of Galion, Ohio, organized the Drama Workshop Play- ers in Galion in 1926 with a class of speech students which she began coaching in 1920. The Players constitute one of the main little theatre movements in this section of the state.
She served on the library board for an extended period and at the time of the Galion Centennial she was made chairman of the pageantry.
During the World War when the Round Table Club put on shows and raised more money than any other group in town, she was the director.
She has devoted her energies to this type of service and has contributed notably to innumerable public programs.
MRS. LESLIE CARTER
MRS. LESLIE CARTER, noted actress, born in Dayton, where she at- tended school and was well known and popular with everyone as the "red- head" Carrie Dudley. It was after she left Dayton to take up her career on the stage that she met and married Leslie Carter. Her most notable successes were in "DuBarry," "Zaza," "My Maryland," and others sponsored by the world famous Belasco.
Mrs. Carter was notable for her striking red hair, her distinctive manner and the finely chiseled features which were so responsive to the emotional roles she created. She made several motion pictures, but her striking success was on the legitimate stage.
Mrs. Leslie Carter died in 1938 at the age of 82 years.
Her home was one of the most attractive in Dayton, and was the center of social activity when she was in town.
MARGUERITE CLARK
MARGUERITE CLARK, another Ohio motion picture actress, was famous in the early days of the cinema for her baby stare. Exposed to it, a six-months- old infant was said to appear worldly and ultra-sophisticated.
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Miss Clark-now Mrs. Harry P. Williams of Patterson and New Orleans, La.,-was born and reared in Cincinnati. During the World War she sold $1,000,000 worth of Liberty Bonds in that city in 24 hours.
When she left pictures in 1917, she said it was with no regrets; that a career was not compatible with marriage-for her. Nearly six years after her marriage, she still had no regrets, because, as she said in a press interview, she was "playing her greatest role-the greatest role in any woman's life" to an audience of one-her husband.
Said husband has immense lumber and sugar interests in the south, and their great estate is only a short distance from New Orleans.
"Happyland" was one of the former screen star's most famous produc- tions, and she was famous also for the title role in the silent film production, "Snow White."
NANCY HARRIS CRABBS
NANCY HARRIS CRABBS (Mrs. George Dent Crabbs), born in Cincin- nati, Ohio, of parents both of whom were native Ohioans, was reared from the age of five, when her father and mother died, by her grandparents, Elisha and Nancy Harris, in the old home in Clinton County built by the great grand- father in 1820, and called "Snow-Hill" in memory of the family home of that name in England.
Nancy Harris, at an early age showed marked dramatic ability. She read aloud, for long hours, to her grandmother, who at that time was confined to a wheel chair, and who thus constituted for the small granddaughter both her first audience and her most helpful critic. Shakespeare was the favorite dramatist on these occasions, and the necessity to "get the scene across to grandmother" provided excellent training, in diction and interpretation, for her future career. Later she studied in New York, with L. B. C. Joseph, dean of the American Academy of Dramatic Art, and under Sargent.
After her marriage, in 1898, to George Dent Crabbs, she came to live in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she has for many years filled a unique and distin- guished position through the readings of plays, both new and old, sometimes in manuscript form, before church organizations, women's clubs, and allied groups throughout Cincinnati and surrounding communities.
She is a member of the Cincinnati Woman's Club; the Town Club, and the Book and Play Circle. She interested herself a few years ago in the "Blind Workshop," and as chairman of a committee to raise funds for this fine project, succeeded in raising $68,000 in a few weeks.
As president of the Actors Guild, a successful self-supporting organization recently founded, with the purpose of encouraging the development of dra- matic talent among youth of the city, in all walks of life, Mrs. Crabbs is con- sistent with her own statement that she has two great interests in life. They
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are "old houses and young people." No one in Cincinnati has done more than Mrs. Crabbs in giving help and encouragement to talented young, men and women, who otherwise might have remained undiscovered.
EDNA KEITH FLORENCE
EDNA KEITH FLORENCE (Mrs. George Florence), Columbus writer and director of plays and pageants, was formerly teacher of English and Dramatics in the Winnetka (Ill.) public schools. She took her A.B. at the University of Chicago and her M.A. at Columbia University.
During the World War, she served in France with the A.E.F., as dramatic recreation director, and later was with the field drama service of the National Recreation Association. Her home is at 43 Jefferson Ave., Columbus.
TRIXIE FRIGANZA
TRIXIE FRIGANZA, a native of Cincinnati, was for many years a favorite on the musical comedy stage.
Born Delia O'Callahan, Miss Friganza made an enviable place for herself in the theatrical world of the early nineteen hundreds. Many successes were credited to Miss Friganza. Outstanding among them was "The American Idea."
Miss Friganza is living now in Hollywood where she has appeared in several motion pictures.
LILLIAN AND DOROTHY GISH
LILLIAN and DOROTHY GISH are two of Ohio's contributions to the glamour of the early days of moving pictures.
They are the daughters of James Lee and Mary Robinson McConnell Gish. Lillian was born in Springfield, Ohio, in 1896 and Dorothy entered the scene two or three years later, when the family had moved to Dayton, Ohio.
The family moved from one city to another during the girls' childhood. Lillian was a very small child when she went, under another name, with a theatrical company touring the middle west. In 1905, she and another little girl danced in a play in which Mme. Sarah Bernhardt was starred, in New York.
Then their mother decided to enter the theatrical profession, and for several years she appeared in dramatic roles in New York and on the road. Eventually, however, she settled in East St. Louis and opened a small store. Lillian, who had been staying with her grandmother in Massillon, Ohio, went there to help her mother, and Dorothy went to a girl's school in West Virginia.
But the path led back to New York and there, in a theatrical boarding house, they met the three Smith children; Gladys of the long curls, her sister, Lottie, and her brother, Jack.
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Some time later Lillian and Dorothy Gish saw a movie in which Gladys Smith appeared as Mary Pickford. They went to see her at the old Biograph Studios in New York, and she took them in to meet David Wark Griffith, who gave both girls work in a picture.
Lillian Gish made her debut in motion pictures in "The Unseen Enemy" but her first really great role was as Elsie in "The Birth of a Nation." In 1916 she appeared in "Intolerance" and both girls appeared in "Hearts of the World" in 1918.
Lillian Gish was inclined to be partial to her role in "Broken Blossoms," she told interviewers, because it was so smoothly and quickly completed. It was filmed in 18 days.
She was a great success also in "Way Down East" and Lillian and Dorothy both were praised by critics throughout the country for their work in "Orphans of the Storm."
Lillian Gish made two pictures in Rome; "The White Sister," and "Romola." Her last silent picture was "The Enemy," a war picture laid in Vienna.
At the end of May, 1930, in the Rivoli Theatre in New York, she appeared in her first and probably her only talking picture, after which she returned to the stage in Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya," playing the role of Helena.
The Gish sisters are as opposite as sisters could well be. Lillian is ex- tremely fair of skin, with blue eyes and ash-blond hair. She is quiet-almost spirituelle in manner, while Dorothy, dark-eyed, dark-haired and vivacious, always has been the spirit of mischief.
ELSIE JANIS
ELSIE JANIS (Mrs. Gilbert Wilson), world famous "sweetheart of the A. E. F.," was born 50 years ago at Columbus, O., the daughter of John and Janis Bierboner. She has faced the footlights from the day she was seven years old. Rarely has a child star won fame more quickly, for Elsie Janis made a special appearance at the White House during the administration of President Mckinley on Christmas Day, 1899.
She made her first stage appearance in "The Charity Ball" in 1897. The special gift of Elsie Janis for light and sprightly comedy and imitations made her a vaudeville star of the first from 1898 to 1903.
Later she starred in various productions with ever increasing success- until the World War.
This world catastrophe changed the entire current of Elsie Janis' life. As soon as she could make it, she got to the Western Front where she travelled from camp to camp, giving shows for the soldiers, cheering them, helping them in every way within her power.
When the war ended, Elsie Janis had really just begun. She was deter- mined that the sacrifice of the boys of the A. E. F. should not be forgotten.
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She organized a company of her own, "Elsie Janis and Her Gang," and with her soldiers toured the country.
About 10 years ago Miss Janis was married to Gilbert Wilson and in 1935 she suffered serious injury in an automobile accident. It was believed to have crippled her for life. But not Elsie Janis.
On her fiftieth birthday she was starring in a vaudeville revival in New York. The vivacious favorite of the doughboys was turning cartwheels as gracefully as she did 20 years ago. "It's wonderful to be 50-and at peace with the world," she said.
MAE DEMING McALPIN
MAE DEMING McALPIN spent her early days in Harrison and Hardin Counties. She entered Ohio Northern University and graduated from the College of Arts with special work in expression.
Two weeks after she graduated H. S. Lehr offered her a position as teacher of public speaking in Ohio Normal University.
She spent many weeks in various dramatic schools, acquiring a degree from Cleveland Dramatic School, and taking graduate work at the Curry School of Expression in Boston, in the Emerson College of Oratory in New York and in the Genevieve Stebbins School of Expression.
She was married to Ellsworth E. McAlpin, local business man and banker, but continued with her work in the university.
She organized the College of Expression at Ohio Northern University, and taught for 44 years. She was followed by her brother Major Cliffe Deming as dean of the department.
She has an honorary degree of Master of Oratory, but feels that her suc- cessful graduates are her greatest attainment.
She coached such successful men as Senator Frank B. Willis; Dr. D. F. Helms, of Lima, and his brother, Dr. Elmer E. Helms, pastor of the largest Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, both of whom are noted preach- ers ; Dr. John Wesley Hill, chancellor of the Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee ; Minnie Coburn, leading lady of the Coburn Players; and many others, noted as chautauqua speakers.
Not long since she was offered a radio contract but declined. Personal publicity never appealed to Mae McAlpin. Mrs. McAlpin is the last charter member of the Current Events Club, one of the oldest federated clubs in the state, to hold active membership.
MARILYN MESEKE
Wherever beauty contests have been held and wherever the grace and art of the dance are familiar, the name of MARILYN MESEKE of Marion, Ohio, is known. A native of Lima, this state, she attended the grade schools of Marion and was graduated from the Harding High School as an honor student.
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When but thirteen years of age she began teaching tap dancing. She had already been dancing from the age of four years and she has always confined her attention to teaching ballet, toe, tap, acrobatic and ballroom dancing. Since 1935 she has been a member of the Dancing Masters of America, her character references to enter this organization being Mr. Fred Guthrie, presi- dent of the National City Bank and a number of the leading women of Marion, who have known her from her early girlhood, including Mrs. Roscoe Metzger and others.
Miss Meseke is widely known as a prize winner in various contests held in this state and different sections of the country. In the first contest she entered she won the first prize, which was a beautiful gold watch. The second contest she entered was at the Grocers Picnic at a Columbus, Ohio, park, where she was accorded second prize, her sister carrying off first prize, both being cash prizes of $25 each. At Cedar Point, in 1931, she gained her third prize-a trophy, "Miss Ohio." In 1932 she won as "Miss Ohio Legion" at the American Legion Convention, held in Toledo. At Ashley, Ohio, in 1932, she won the beauty prize and at Columbus, in 1932 she won the prize as the best looking blonde. The next year she won the contest and became "Miss Columbus," the prize being a $300 trip to Yellowstone National Park. She also won the contest at Columbus as "Miss Dispatch," being sponsored by the Columbus Dispatch. In 1934 she became "Miss Paramount," on which occasion the prize was a trophy. At Youngstown, she was alternate to "Miss Ohio." In 1938 she became "Miss Marion" (Ohio), then "Miss Ohio" at the Grotto Convention held in Cleveland, at the Carter. At Atlantic City Miss Meseke carried off the first prize as the most perfect model and at the week end contest she won the title "Miss America." At the Cleveland Exposition she won third prize (cash) and she has the Renault Trophy from Atlantic City, 1938, the con- testants being pudged, first, on talent ; second, appearance in a bathing suit ; and third, appearance in evening dress.
Upon her return to Marion as "Miss America," Miss Meseke was met by over thirty-five thousand people of the city, together with eight bands, from Toledo, Columbus, Kenton, and elsewhere. The following was written by George H. Kerr of the Dupont Company and published September 19, 1938, under title :
TO MARILYN (Miss America, 1938) Marilyn, when you were born, I'm sure the fairies all were there Each bearing in her hand a charm To make you wondrous fair. They gave you roses for your cheeks And violets for your eyes And put in them the soft clear light Of summer starlit skies,
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And that the rose and violet Might bloom forever there, They robbed the orb of day and placed God's sunshine in your hair. And then to make your charms complete And the hearts of men rejoice,
The music of the whispering winds They mingled with your voice. L'Envoi
Marilyn, if you could but portray your charms In lines and charms that time can ne'er erase, The wondering world would turn and say There never was so fair a face.
Miss Meseke has always cultivated the art of music-the sister art of dancing. She began taking piano lessons at the age of six and has since con- tinued. She was a member of the Junior Lecture Recital Club. She has also studied the violin and has been studying voice at intervals for the last five years. She became a charter member of the Girl Reserves and she has enjoyed a distinction accorded few people-that the name of Broadway, in New York City, was changed to Hollywood Boulevard for one hour in her honor.
ELIZABETH ROBINS
One of the most famous women of Putnam, a part of Zanesville, was ELIZABETH ROBINS, the actress and author of many well-known books. She and her brother Raymond Robins, lived for many years in the "Old Stone House," a famous old residence, still beautiful and in excellent preservation, now owned and occupied by MRS. J. M. McHENRY and her daughter and son-in-law, Richard M. Taylor.
In this old house was laid the scene of one of Miss Robins' famous novels, "The Open Question," a story dealing largely with her own life. Other books written by this famous child of Muskingum County are: "The New Moon," "The Magnetic North," "Come and Find Me," "The Dark Lantern," "Time Is Whispering," and the play, "Votes for Women."
An intimate friend of Henry James, a famous actress on the London stage and a world renowned traveler, Elizabeth Robins is one of Muskingum County's most remarkable daughters. Many of her old schoolmates at the Putnam Seminary are living today and recall clever stories of her vivid personality.
RAE SAMUELS
RAE SAMUELS, a "little girl from over the tracks," left Youngstown to go to fame and fortune as "the blue streak of vaudeville" and see her name in electric lights before every important vaudeville house from The Palace in New York to the big show houses of San Francisco.
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Miss Samuels is a Welsh girl. Her father worked in the valley steel mills. She was one of a large family, all of whom has considerable stage ability. Her first opening night was when at the age of eight she took part in a neighborhood church entertainment and stole the show. She was such a little girl-it was her black hair and amazing bright black eyes that helped to make her first hit. The eyes flashed fire and her cheeks were studded with dimples. That church audience stamped and applauded as no church audience has stamped before. It was just a silly little piece but Rae got it over in a big way.
From then on she was asked to attend all sorts of entertainments. She began to get paid for a few. Presently she had joined a sister in vaudeville and in no time at all she was the star of the act.
Those who have seen Miss Samuels recall her jovial way of bouncing on stage in a gorgeous costume and putting over socko songs in a blue streak manner. "When business is dead, we just get in Rae Samuels" one theatre manager said.
As long as there was any vaudeville, Miss Samuels was booked every week she would work. She left vaudeville for a short time when she played in a star spot with the Ziegfeld Follies of 1912, along with Bert Williams, Leon Erroll and others.
When she returned to her home town after her first Broadway success the entire town turned out to see her in one of the greatest demonstrations ever given at Youngstown.
But vaudeville waned, Rae made some movie shorts but has been spending most of her time at her home on Long Island, commuting to Broadway where her husband, Marty Forkins, is a widely known booking agent. They have one son, Patrick, in private school.
EVELYN VENABLE
EVELYN VENABLE aided greatly in pinning extra laurel leaves into Ohio's wreath of fame through the art of the moving picture.
Miss Venable was born in Cincinnati, the daughter of Professor and Mrs. Emerson Venable. The professor is a member of the faculty of the University of Cincinnati.
The screen actress went to the legitimate stage almost directly from Walnut Hills High School, Cincinnati. Miss Frieda Lotze tutored her in oral English and Prof. Venable taught there for some years.
At home as well as at school, little Evelyn was steeped in the traditions of English literature. Her father's scholarly treatise on "Hamlet" is well known. Evelyn toured with Walter Hampden in "Cyrano de Bergerac," "Caponsacchi" and "Hamlet," carrying the leading roles to the tune of high praise from critics.
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Oscar Serlin, talent, scout for Paramount Pictures, claims credit for dis- covering Evelyn Venable and from then on her rise in pictures was rapid. Some of her most noteworthy roles were in "Death Takes a Holiday," "Cradle Song," "David Harum" and "Double Door."
She was married in December, 1934, to Hal Mohr, a motion picture director. They have two children.
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