Margaret Herrick Explained

Margaret Herrick
Birth Name:	Margaret Florence Buck
Birth Date:	September 27, 1902
Birth Place:	Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Death Place:	Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
Other Names:	Margaret Gledhill
Education:	University of Washington
Occupation:	Librarian
Years Active:	1929–1971

Margaret Florence Herrick (September 27, 1902June 21, 1976),^{[1] [2]} also known professionally as Margaret Gledhill, was an American librarian and the Executive Director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1971, the Academy's library was named the Margaret Herrick Library in her honor.^[3]

Early life

She was born Margaret Buck in Spokane, Washington, to Nathan K. Buck, an attorney, and Adda M. Buck (née Morie).^{[4] [5]}

In 1929, Herrick graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in library science.

Career

In 1929, Herrick became head librarian at the Yakima Public Library in Yakima, Washington. She moved to Hollywood, California, with her husband and became the Academy's first librarian. She served in that capacity until 1943, during the war, when she became the interim executive director of the Academy, replacing her husband.^[6] In 1945, she was offered the Executive Director position permanently and held that position until her retirement in January 1971.^[7]

In the mid-1960s, Herrick went on international tours to promote the tenth anniversary of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.^[8] Between 1963 and 1968, she visited many international film institutions.

The Academy's extensive library in Beverly Hills, California, of material on films is named in her honor.^[9]

Oscar moniker

Herrick is generally credited with naming the Academy Award an "Oscar", declaring the statuettes "looked just like my Uncle Oscar".^[10] However, others, including Academy President Bette Davis and Hollywood gossip columnist Sidney Skolsky, have claimed they invented the name.^{[11] [12] [13]}

Bette Davis said that the statue reminded her of her husband Harmon Nelson's derrière. Nelson's middle name was Oscar.^[14] However, Davis later relinquished this claim.^[15]

Columnist Sidney Skolsky, who had a syndicated column for over 50 years,^[16] referred to the nickname, "Oscar," in his March 17, 1934, column, which is believed to be the first time the award was called the Oscar in print.

Personal life

In 1931, Herrick married Donald Gledhill, an assistant to the executive secretary of the Academy.^[17] She and Gledhill divorced in 1945. She married Philip A. Herrick in 1946, and continued to use his name professionally following their divorce in 1951.

On June 21, 1976, Herrick died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, after a lengthy illness.^[18]

See also

• Margaret Herrick Library
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Works and publications

• Book: Gledhill. Margaret Buck. Christeson. Frances Mary. Classification Scheme for Motion Picture Collections. 1941. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Library. Hollywood, Calif. 613712320. 2027/uc1.b3926458.
• Book: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. University of California, Los Angeles. Gledhill. Margaret. A Series of Papers on University Training for Motion Picture Work. A Project of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Collaboration with the University of California at Los Angeles. 1944. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles. Hollywood, Calif. University training for motion picture work; assembled by Margaret Gledhill. 7851448. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. University of California, Los Angeles.

Further reading

• Coco. Anne. Femme Boss: Margaret Herrick, Librarian and Executive Secretary of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the Second Generation of Hollywood Career Women. 1998. University of California, Los Angeles. M.L.I.S.. 45091607.
• Book: Dodd. Philip. What's in a Name?: From Joseph P. Frisbie to Roy Jacuzzi: How Everyday Items Were Named for Extraordinary People. 2007. Gotham Books. New York. 978-1-59240-432-2. 233549283. registration.
• Book: Holden. Anthony. Behind the Oscar The Secret History of the Academy Awards. 1993. Simon & Schuster. New York. 978-0-671-70129-1. 84, 128. registration. 623545686.
• Book: Levy. Emanuel. And the Winner Is...: The History and Politics of the Oscar Awards. 1990. Continuum. New York. 978-0-8264-0450-3. registration. 441626924.
• Sands. Pierre Norman. A Historical Study of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1927–1947). 1973. Arno Press. New York. 978-0-405-04100-6. Ph.D.. 340397. Originally presented as the author's thesis, University of Southern California, Arno Press Cinema Program, 1966.
• Book: Slide. Anthony. The New Historical Dictionary of the American Film Industry. 2014. Taylor and Francis. Hoboken. 978-1-135-92554-3. 1–2. 871224495.

External links

• Margaret Herrick Library

Notes and References

1. Web site: Margaret Herrick – United States Social Security Death Index. FamilySearch. February 3, 2016. registration.
2. Web site: Margaret Herrick – California Death Index. FamilySearch. February 3, 2016. registration.
3. News: Margaret Herrick, Film History Trailblazer. February 3, 2016. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. September 22, 2015.
4. Web site: Florence M Buck – United States Census, 1910. FamilySearch. February 3, 2016. registration.
5. Web site: Margaret F Buck – United States Census, 1920. FamilySearch. February 3, 2016. registration.
6. Academy Gets Femme Boss As Gledhill Joins Army. Daily Variety. January 20, 1943. 1, 4. February 3, 2016. subscription.
7. Web site: Waterman. Nichole Maiman. Alumni: Margaret Herrick ('29) and the Academy of Motion Pictures. University of Washington Information School. January 18, 2016.
8. News: Nepomuceno. Luis. People:AMPAS Executive Feted. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/s5fN4HbC65E . 2021-12-22 . live. February 4, 2016. FAME Newsreel. 1966.
9. Web site: About: Margaret Herrick. Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. 2014-07-30.
10. Web site: Oscar Statuette. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. January 18, 2016. July 26, 2014.
11. Book: Dodd. Philip. What's in a Name?: From Joseph P. Frisbie to Roy Jacuzzi: How Everyday Items Were Named for Extraordinary People. 2007. Gotham Books. New York. 978-1-59240-432-2. Chapter 7: When Oscar met Tony. 233549283. registration. https://archive.org/details/whatsinnamefromj00phil.
12. News: Lewis. Hilary. Oscars: Who Came Up With the Name 'Oscar' and More About the Statuette's History (Video). February 3, 2016. The Hollywood Reporter. February 18, 2015.
13. News: Osborne. Robert. The Origin of Oscar. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/_thW3N98cFQ . 2021-12-22 . live. February 3, 2016. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. February 17, 2015. video.
14. Book: Sikov. Ed. Dark Victory: the Life of Bette Davis. 2007. Holt. New York. 978-0-8050-7548-9. 68–84. 1st. Chapter 5: The First Oscar. Bette later claimed to have christened Oscar Oscar. 76961180. registration. https://archive.org/details/darkvictorylifeo00siko/page/68.
15. Book: Stine. Whitney. Davis. Bette. Mother Goddam: The Story of the Career of Bette Davis. 1982. 74. I relinquish once and for all any claim that I was the one.... W.H. Allen. London. 978-0-352-31142-9. 16600617.
16. News: Sidney Skolsky is Dead at 78; Hollywood Reporter 50 Years. February 3, 2016. The New York Times. 5 May 1983.
17. Web site: Margaret Gledhill – United States Census, 1940. FamilySearch. February 3, 2016. registration.
18. News: Margaret Herrick, former head of motion picture academy, dies . . June 23, 1976 . August 28, 2022 . Newspapers.com.