Margaret Herrick
Encyclopedia
Margaret Herrick was the librarian and director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
. Herrick is generally credited with naming the Academy Award
an "Oscar", declaring the statuettes "looked just like my Uncle Oscar". However, others, including Academy President Bette Davis
, have claimed they invented the name.
She was born in Spokane, Washington
, United States
. Her maiden name was Margaret Buck. Margaret graduated from the University of Washington
. She was librarian of Yakima, Washington
. After marrying Donald Gledhill, an assistant to the executive secretary of the Academy, she moved to Hollywood, California in 1931 and ultimately became the Academy's first librarian. She served in that capacity until 1943, when she became the interim executive director of the Academy, replacing her husband. She and Gledhill divorced in 1945. In 1946 she was offered the Executive Director position permanently, and she held it until her retirement in January 1971. She married Philip A. Herrick in 1946, and continued to use his name professionally following their divorce in 1951.
The Academy's extensive library in Beverly Hills, California
, of material on films is named in her honor.
She died in Woodland Hills, California.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
. Herrick is generally credited with naming the Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
an "Oscar", declaring the statuettes "looked just like my Uncle Oscar". However, others, including Academy President Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
, have claimed they invented the name.
She was born in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Her maiden name was Margaret Buck. Margaret graduated from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. She was librarian of Yakima, Washington
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
. After marrying Donald Gledhill, an assistant to the executive secretary of the Academy, she moved to Hollywood, California in 1931 and ultimately became the Academy's first librarian. She served in that capacity until 1943, when she became the interim executive director of the Academy, replacing her husband. She and Gledhill divorced in 1945. In 1946 she was offered the Executive Director position permanently, and she held it until her retirement in January 1971. She married Philip A. Herrick in 1946, and continued to use his name professionally following their divorce in 1951.
The Academy's extensive library in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
, of material on films is named in her honor.
She died in Woodland Hills, California.