Emanuel Fried
Encyclopedia
Emanuel "Manny" Fried was a playwright, actor, and union organizer. Born in New York City to a working class background, Fried married into a prominent upper-class Buffalo
family. During World War II, Fried worked for Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
. There, Fried became involved in the company's union, and was fired for subversive activities. From 1944-1946, Fried served in the US Army. After the war, Fried again worked as a labor organizer, and was fired after an FBI investigation into Communist ties.
In 1954 Fried was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee
to investigate ties to the Communist Party
. After invoking the Fifth Amendment
and refusing to answer questions, Fried was blacklisted and unable to find work or have his plays produced. He ended up selling life insurance for around 15 years for Canada Life, the only place he could find work, selling mainly to former union members and colleagues. Throughout this period, he was writing plays and performing as an actor on the Buffalo stage. He eventually decided to complete his Bachelor's degree, having only finished one year of college at University of Iowa on a football scholarship as a younger man. He not only completed his B.A., but went on to complete his Ph.D. at Buffalo State College, where he was hired to teach in 1973. He retired from this position in 1983, but continued to teach as an adjunct professor until 2008. Fried also taught for the Cornell University
School of Industrial and Labor Relations
.
Fried's plays included: The Dodo Bird, Brothers for A’ That, Drop Hammer, Elegy for Stanley Gorski, The Second Beginning, Marked for Success, and Boilermakers and Martini’s.
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
family. During World War II, Fried worked for Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company was an American aircraft manufacturer that went public in 1916 with Glenn Hammond Curtiss as president. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the company was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States...
. There, Fried became involved in the company's union, and was fired for subversive activities. From 1944-1946, Fried served in the US Army. After the war, Fried again worked as a labor organizer, and was fired after an FBI investigation into Communist ties.
In 1954 Fried was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee
House Un-American Activities Committee
The House Committee on Un-American Activities or House Un-American Activities Committee was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. In 1969, the House changed the committee's name to "House Committee on Internal Security"...
to investigate ties to the Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
. After invoking the Fifth Amendment
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
and refusing to answer questions, Fried was blacklisted and unable to find work or have his plays produced. He ended up selling life insurance for around 15 years for Canada Life, the only place he could find work, selling mainly to former union members and colleagues. Throughout this period, he was writing plays and performing as an actor on the Buffalo stage. He eventually decided to complete his Bachelor's degree, having only finished one year of college at University of Iowa on a football scholarship as a younger man. He not only completed his B.A., but went on to complete his Ph.D. at Buffalo State College, where he was hired to teach in 1973. He retired from this position in 1983, but continued to teach as an adjunct professor until 2008. Fried also taught for the Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
School of Industrial and Labor Relations
Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations
The New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations is an industrial relations school at Cornell University, an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, USA...
.
Fried's plays included: The Dodo Bird, Brothers for A’ That, Drop Hammer, Elegy for Stanley Gorski, The Second Beginning, Marked for Success, and Boilermakers and Martini’s.