Myra Hemmings: Difference between revisions
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|date_of_birth=[[August 30]], [[1895]]<ref name=TSHA/> |
|date_of_birth=[[August 30]], [[1895]]<ref name=TSHA/> |
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|place_of_birth=[[Gonzales, Texas]] |
|place_of_birth=[[Gonzales, Texas]] |
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|date_of_death=[[December 8]], [[1968]] (aged |
|date_of_death=[[December 8]], [[1968]] (aged 73) |
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|place_of_death=[[San Antonio, Texas]] |
|place_of_death=[[San Antonio, Texas]] |
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|spouse=John W. Hemmings (1892-1958)<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0376105/bio John W. Hemmings]. Retrieved on July 6, 2007.</ref> |
|spouse=John W. Hemmings (1892-1958)<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0376105/bio John W. Hemmings]. Retrieved on July 6, 2007.</ref> |
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Revision as of 01:58, 11 July 2007
Myra Hemmings | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Actress; a founder of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; Teacher |
| Spouse | John W. Hemmings (1892-1958)[1] |
Template:Delta Sigma Theta Founders Myra Lillian Davis Hemmings (1895-1968) was an actress, teacher, and a founder of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Early life
Hemmings was born to Henry and Susan (Dement) Davis. In 1909, she graduated from Riverside High School in San Antonio, Texas. Howard University in Washington, D.C., Davis was a part of the group of twenty-two women who were newly initiated into the Alpha Chapter Alpha Kappa Alpha in 1912, where she served as president of the chapter[4]. A dichotomy ensued within the group of twenty-two newly initiated women and the current establishment of Alpha Kappa Alpha. The twenty-two women would later cede from Alpha Kappa Alpha and form Delta Sigma Theta. She was later named president of Delta Sigma Theta's Alpha Chapter[5]. In 1913, Hemmings graduated from Howard University[2]. After graduation, Davis began teaching in 1913 in San Antonio, Texas. In 1922, Davis married John W. Hemmings[2]. John W. Hemmings was a former actor on Broadway[3].
Acting
Hemmings was active in amateur theater and participated in the San Antonio Negro Little Theater by directing productions[6]. She and her husband, John helped to organize Phyllis Wheatley Dramatic Guild Players[3]. In her career, she appeared in three films. First, in the 1941 tragic drama film Go Down Death: The Story of Jesus and the Devil, she starred as the martyr Sister Caroline[7]. In addition to acting, Hemmings co-produced and co-directed the film[3]. Second, in the 1943 film Marching On, she played Mrs. Ellen Tucker[8]. Third, in Girl in Room 20, in 1946, she played Sarra Walker[9].
Later life
As a drama teacher, Hemmings would direct plays from the 1920s to the 1950s at the Carver Community Cultural Center in San Antonio[10]. Hemmings was elected as vice-president of Delta Sigma Theta in 1933[11] as well as the organization's historian in 1948[12]. In 1947, Hemmings received her Masters of Arts degree in speech from Northwestern University[2] Hemmings also continued to teach in San Antonio for fifty-one years[3]. She was also a member of the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women[13] and the Alpha Phi Literary Society[14]. Hemmings died in 1968 in San Antonio.
Tributes
After Hemmings's death, Dramatic Theatre Guild was renamed Myra Davis Hemmings Memorial Theatre Guild[3]. In addition, the San Antonio Alumnae Chapter's of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated resource center was named after Hemmings in 1986[15].
References
- Giddings, Paula (1988). In Search of Sisterhood: Delta Sigma Theta and the Challenge of the Black Sorority Movement.
Footnotes
- ^ John W. Hemmings. Retrieved on July 6, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Myra Hemmings Biography on IMDB. Retrieved July 6, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Handbook of Texas Online: Myra Hemmings. Retrieved July 6, 2007.
- ^ Giddings, Paula (1988). In Search of Sisterhood: Delta Sigma Theta and the Challenge of the Black Sorority Movement. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 44. 0688135099.
- ^ Delta Sigma Theta Founders - Xi Chapter Retrieved on July 6, 2007.
- ^ Giddings op. ed. pp. 68.
- ^ Yahoo! Movies: Go Down Death: The Story of Jesus and the Devil. Retrieved July 8, 2007.
- ^ IMDB - Marching On. Retrieved July 8, 2007.
- ^ MRC FilmFinder-Full Record: The Girl in Room 20. University of North Carolina. Retrieved on July 8, 2007.
- ^ Enriching San Antonio Schools through St. Louis Black Repertory Company in San Antonio SchoolsResidency. Retrieved on July 7, 2007.
- ^ Giddings op. ed. pp. 154.
- ^ Sadie T.M. Alexander Archives at UPenn. Retrieved July 6, 2007.
- ^ Delta Sigma Theta Founders - Kappa Alpha Chapter. Retrieved on July 6, 2007.
- ^ Delta Sigma Theta Founders - Epsilon Beta. Retrieved July 8, 2007.
- ^ A Guide to the San Antonio Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Records, 1934-1998 (Bulk 1938-1992). Retrieved on July 6, 2007.
See Also
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated