54-406: Himan Brown (July 21, 1910 – June 4, 2010), also known as Hi Brown , was an American producer of radio and television programs. Over seven decades, Brown produced and directed more than 30,000 radio shows, for all of the major radio networks and syndication. He worked with such actors as Helen Hayes , Boris Karloff , Peter Lorre , Gregory Peck , Frank Sinatra and Orson Welles . A recipient of
108-613: A ceasefire in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war earlier that week. The cancellation had prompted two of the poetry center's three employees to resign and many speakers to cancel. In addition to presenting performing arts programs ( classical , jazz and popular music as well as dance performances ), it offers a series of talks and conversations; literary readings; film screenings; adult education; schools for music, art and dance for children and adults; professional development programs (early childhood, dance, business and fashion ); family, parenting and children's activities and classes;
162-569: A downtown branch, where Emma Lazarus taught English to immigrants. This branch would later merge with other organizations to become the Educational Alliance . As the organization grew, it began integrating more Judaism into its programming. In 1878, the YMHA held its first Hannakuh Festival, which became an annual tradition. The secularized celebration of Jewish holidays like Hannakuh and Purim, according to historian Jonathan Sarna , helped save
216-459: A free digital archive at 92YOnDemand.org that includes both stage events and web-only content. In 2012, 92Y founded #GivingTuesday , which established the Tuesday after Thanksgiving as a day to celebrate and encourage giving. The initiative was inspired by the core Jewish value of Tikkun olam (repairing the world) and reflects the institution's mission of reimagining community and giving back. 92Y
270-590: A new building, completed in 1930. The YMHA primarily catered to Jews until the mid-1930s. The Y's director, William Kolodney , argued that the arts were central to the Jewish religious tradition of learning for learning's sake. While the board was concerned that this shift would transform the Y into a secular institution and harm its finances, Kolodney argued for not catering to the lowest common denominator in pursuit of crowds, and to keep charges minimal so that activities were within reach of salaried workers. Kolodney opened
324-514: A nursery school; a senior center; a fitness center (including fitness classes and swim team); camps ; a residence that rents rooms in the Y's main building at 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue; Jewish education, cultural and community programs; and educational outreach programs for public school children among its programs. The organization serves about 300,000 people annually in its New York facilities. In recent years, 92Y has expanded its digital programming to include live webcasts of events and
378-426: A permanent home through the munificence of businessman and philanthropist Jacob Schiff . Initially donating a rowhouse at 65th Street and Lexington Avenue to the Y, Schiff would finance the construction of a new building at 92nd Street and Lexington. Designed by Arnold W. Brunner , who produced many turn-of-the-century synagogues, the new building would open in 1900. The original YMHA building would be replaced by
432-614: A second benefit for the Riverside Shakespeare Company, this time at the Marquis Theatre , the construction of which had been made possible by the demolition of the Helen Hayes Theatre three years before. The production featured Rex Smith , Ossie Davis and F. Murray Abraham , and was produced by McDowell and directed by Robert Small, with Hayes narrating. According to her daughter-in-law, HB MacArthur, Hayes took
486-507: Is also one of the founding partners of the annual Social Good Summit, a conference that attracts NGO, tech and business leaders and entrepreneurs, which takes place in September (during UN Week). 92nd Street Y comprises eight programming centers: Bronfman Center for Jewish Life; Lillian & Sol Goldman Family Center for Youth & Family; May Center for Health, Fitness & Sport; Milstein/Rosenthal Center for Media & Technology; School of
540-494: Is doing something is almost as pleasurable as what she is doing." She spent most of her last years writing and raising money for organizations that fight asthma. Hayes was a generous donor of time and money to a number of causes and organizations, including the Riverside Shakespeare Company of New York City. Along with Mildred Natwick , she became a founding member of the company's Board of Advisors in 1981. She
594-623: Is regarded as one of the greatest leading ladies of the 20th-century theatre. Her career spanned 82 years. A leading philanthropist in later decades, Hayes was most proud of her 49-year association with the extraordinary Helen Hayes Hospital, a non-profit rehabilitative center overlooking the Hudson River in West Haverstraw, NY. Helen Hayes Brown was born in Washington, D.C. , on October 10, 1900. Her mother, Catherine Estelle "Essie" (née Hayes),
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#1732855231332648-1168: The Academy of the Sacred Heart Convent in Washington and graduated in 1917. Hayes began a stage career as a five-year-old singer at Washington's Belasco Theatre , on Lafayette Square, across from the White House. By age 10, she had made a short film, Jean and the Calico Doll (1910). Her sound film debut was The Sin of Madelon Claudet , for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress . She followed that with starring roles in Arrowsmith (with Ronald Colman ); A Farewell to Arms (with Gary Cooper ); The White Sister (opposite Clark Gable ); Another Language (opposite Robert Montgomery ); What Every Woman Knows (a reprise of her Broadway hit); and Vanessa: Her Love Story also with Robert Montgomery. But Hayes did not prefer film to
702-719: The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center , in Austin, Texas . The center protects and preserves North America's native plants and natural landscapes. The Helen Hayes Award for theater in the Washington, D.C., area is named in her honor. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6220 Hollywood Blvd. Hayes is also in the American Theatre Hall of Fame . Hayes was a Catholic and a Republican who attended many Republican National Conventions (including
756-525: The National Medal of Arts . The annual Helen Hayes Awards , which have recognized excellence in professional theatre in greater Washington, D.C., since 1984, are her namesake. In 1955, the former Fulton Theatre on 46th Street in New York City's Theatre District was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre. When that venue was torn down in 1982, the nearby Little Theatre was renamed in her honor. Helen Hayes
810-600: The Young Men's Hebrew Association , the 92nd Street Y (often simply called " the Y" ) transformed from a secular social club to a large arts and cultural center in the 20th century. In 1874, a group of German-Jewish professionals established the New York Young Men's Hebrew Association (YMHA). The founders were predominantly members of the Temple Shaaray Tefila , or synagogue , and New York's YMHA and others across
864-606: The 1950s, he bought Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Studios at 221 West 26th Street (now Chelsea Studios ) to produce his shows. When television arrived, Brown produced 26 episodes of the syndicated Inner Sanctum TV series, plus a daytime show, Morning Matinee . Realizing that "all these guys making TV, they have to have a set," he profited by acquiring the studios in Chelsea; they were used for 35 years by New York TV production firms. Through his non-profit educational foundation, Brown produced They Were Giants , radio programs dramatizing
918-442: The 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY for short) in 2022, reorganizing its programs under five umbrellas and launching Roundtable, an online learning platform. The rebrand preceded a $ 200 million campaign to renovate its facilities. In October 2023, the poetry center indefinitely postponed its reading series after the Y canceled an appearance by the writer Viet Thanh Nguyen , citing his "public comments on Israel"; Nguyen had called for
972-588: The American Broadcast Pioneer and Peabody Awards , Brown was inducted in 1990 into the National Radio Hall of Fame . The son of a tailor from a shtetl near the Ukrainian seaport of Odesa, Brown first learned about radio from a shop teacher at Brooklyn's Boys High School . At the age of 18, he began broadcasting on New York's WEAF , reading newspapers with a Yiddish dialect. One of his listeners
1026-475: The Arts; Charles Simon Center for Adult Life & Learning; Tisch Center for the Arts, Center for Educational Outreach and Center for Innovation and Social Impact. In 1935, William Kolodney joined the 92nd Street Y as Educational Director, instituting a wide-ranging educational program for general audiences of all faiths. He made the "Y" a center for chamber music, poetry readings, and dance performances. He initiated
1080-761: The Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards . In 1979, she received the Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame . 92nd Street Y 92nd Street Y, New York ( 92NY ) is a cultural and community center located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City , at the corner of East 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue . Founded in 1874 as
1134-782: The Church for the duration of her marriage to Charles MacArthur , who was a divorced Protestant); and the polio -related death of her 19-year-old daughter, Mary (1930–1949), an aspiring actress. Hayes's adopted son, James MacArthur (1937–2010), had a successful career in acting, including as co-star to Jack Lord in Hawaii Five-O . Hayes guest-starred on Hawaii Five-O in the 1975 episode "Retire in Sunny Hawaii... Forever". She and her son appeared in The Love Boat episode "No Girls for Doc/Marriage of Convenience/The Caller/The Witness". Hayes
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#17328552313321188-625: The Little French Princess , The NBC Radio Theater , The Private Files of Rex Saunders , Terry and the Pirates and numerous daytime soap operas. During World War II, he worked with the Writers' War Board , producing patriotic serials to aid the war effort. Brown directed many episodes of shows he produced. In 1951–55, he directed the NBC detective drama, Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator . In
1242-518: The Y announced the creation of a new director of Jewish community role, coinciding with Timms' elevation. Timms spearheaded the development of Giving Tuesday while at the Y. Henry Timms left the Y in 2019 to join Lincoln Center ; he was succeeded in January 2020 by Seth Pinsky, former head of economic development under Mayor Michael Bloomberg . The choice of Pinsky was influenced by the need to revamp
1296-606: The Y's concert hall and events to nonmembers; its excellent acoustics helped land the Y on the map as a performing arts venue. The Y opened an arts center, jewelry center, dance center, poetry center, and nursery school throughout the 1930s. 75% of revenue was spent on 25% of programs. In 1945, the YMHA merged with the Young Women's Hebrew Association and became the YM-YWHA. In the 1960s, the Clara de Hirsch Home for Working Girls merged with
1350-666: The Y's dance center, School of Music and poetry center. The last is now called the Unterberg Poetry Center and has been led by prominent writers including American poet Karl Kirchwey who was director for thirteen years until 2000. The Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact brings the mission of 92nd Street Y to the world. Collaborators include the UN Foundation , Mashable , Hoover Institution at Stanford University , Harvard Kennedy School , Public Radio International , United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and
1404-432: The Y's finances. The Y responded by cutting Jewish life and cultural offerings and expanding its class offerings. By 2003, the Y's budget had grown to $ 43 million and served 300,000 annually; less than a decade later, it had revenues of $ 80 million. After the September 11th terrorist attacks, the Y spent $ 1 million investigating the feasibility of a satellite building to help revitalize the rebuilding downtown. The result
1458-484: The Y, and a new building on the southern part of the block was constructed to house it and new spaces for programming and the arts. In 1972 the YM-YWHA rebranded itself as the 92nd Street Y. In 1988, the Board elevated Sol Adler to executive director. Adler had worked for the Y for 11 years, hired by the previous executive director. In the 1990s, the decline of classical music programming and rising real estate costs threatened
1512-486: The alliance's drama committee and board of directors, according to alliance executive director James Kirk Merrick who noted, "This award isn't given every year.... It is only presented when we feel someone is deserving. I don't think there can be any question as to how we arrived at choosing Miss Hayes." In 1982, with friend Lady Bird Johnson , she founded the National Wildflower Research Center, now
1566-751: The building. Parts of the original Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway were used to construct the Shakespeare Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which Hayes dedicated with Joseph Papp in 1982. In 1983 the Little Theater on West 44th Street was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre in her honor, as was a theatre in Nyack, which has since been renamed the Riverspace-Arts Center. In early 2014,
1620-520: The city; Bellevue Hospital at night, a tugboat hauling garbage out to sea, parties, libraries, and Puerto Rican markets. They spoke to everyday people to see how they lived their lives and what made the city tick. The result of this collaborative effort was the book Twice Over Lightly , published in 1972. It is unclear when or by whom Hayes was called the "First Lady of the Theatre". Her friend, actress Katharine Cornell , also held that title, and each thought
1674-400: The country grew out of existing Jewish congregations. The YMHA itself was a secular organization intended to serve as a social and literary fraternity. Officially incorporated on September 10, 1874, the YMHA would initially operate out of rented premises on 112 West 21st Street. A few years later, the organization would move to larger accommodations on 110 West 42nd Street; the Y also operated
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1728-532: The holiday from obscurity and was part of the creation of an American Jewish identity and culture. Celebrations of the High Holidays began in 1900. These were soon followed by regular Friday evening services that grew in average attendance from 172 in 1901 to more than 400 in 1903, though secular activities remained far more popular. In 1886 the YMHA moved from 42nd Street to 721 Lexington Avenue near 58th Street, and in 1895 to 111 East 59th Street. The Y would find
1782-493: The hospital in the 1940s and was named to the Board of Visitors in 1944. In 1974, the hospital was renamed in her honor. She served on the Helen Hayes Hospital Board of Visitors for 49 years, until her death in 1993. In that time, she advocated tirelessly for the hospital and successfully led a fight to prevent its relocation to Albany in the 1960s. In the 1970s, she was instrumental in lobbying for funding to transform
1836-435: The hospital into a state-of-the-art facility. Hayes also contributed her enthusiastic support to hospital events and fund-raising efforts, including handing out diplomas to the children upon graduation when the hospital was still a pediatric care facility. She also faithfully attended the hospital's annual Classic Race, leading it in a classic car, handing out awards to runners, hand cyclists, and wheelchair racers, and offering
1890-545: The lives of such literary figures as Walt Whitman and H. G. Wells , and We, The Living , fact-based dramas about the lives of senior citizens. Brown also taught audio drama at Brooklyn College and the School of Visual Arts . In 1938, Brown moved to a ten-room apartment at 285 Central Park West, where he would live the rest of his life. Brown had two children, Barry Kenneth Brown and Hilda Joan Brown, two grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Hi Brown’s second marriage
1944-578: The most pride in her philanthropic work with Helen Hayes Hospital , a physical rehabilitation hospital located in West Haverstraw , New York. She was extremely proud of the strides the hospital made toward the rehabilitation of people with disabilities, saying: "I've seen my name in lights on theater marquees and in letters 20 feet tall on Broadway billboards, but nothing has ever given me greater sense of pride and satisfaction than my 49-year association with this unique hospital." Hayes became involved with
1998-719: The one held in New Orleans in 1988 ), but she was not as politically vocal as several other Republicans (e.g., Adolphe Menjou , Ginger Rogers , John Wayne , Ronald Reagan , etc.) in the Hollywood community of that time. Hayes delivered a seconding speech to George H. W. Bush 's nomination during the roll call at the 1988 Republican National Convention. Hayes wrote three memoirs: A Gift of Joy , On Reflection , and My Life in Three Acts . Some of these books' themes include her return to Roman Catholicism (she had been denied communion from
2052-471: The organization's outdated facilities. Shortly thereafter the institution was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic ; nearly 70% of its revenues came from in-person events and instruction. The Y began streaming events and classes to reach a broader, global audience. Despite success online, budget cuts required employee furloughs and cut salaries. As a result of shifting programming, the Y changed its name to
2106-453: The other deserved it. One critic said Cornell played every queen as though she were a woman, whereas Hayes played every woman as though she were a queen. Hayes was also recognized with additional awards during her career. In January 1968, Philadelphia Art Alliance president Raymond S. Green presented her with the alliance's Award of Merit "in recognition of outstanding creative work of high artistic merit." She had been chosen unanimously by
2160-645: The radio industry, The Troubled Air . In 1931, he earned a bachelor of arts degree from Brooklyn College and a law degree from Brooklyn Law School , where he was valedictorian. Over 65 years, Brown produced more than 30,000 radio programs, including The Adventures of the Thin Man , The Affairs of Peter Salem , Bulldog Drummond , CBS Radio Mystery Theater , City Desk , Dick Tracy , Flash Gordon , The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater , Grand Central Station , Green Valley, USA , The Gumps , Inner Sanctum Mysteries , Joyce Jordan, M.D. , Marie,
2214-555: The site was refurbished and styled by interior designer Dawn Hershko and reopened as the Playhouse Market, a quaint restaurant and gourmet deli. Hayes, who spoke with her good friend Anita Loos almost daily on the phone, told her, "I used to think New York was the most enthralling place in the world. I'll bet it still is and if I were free next summer, I would prove it." With that, she convinced Loos to embark on an exploration of all five boroughs of New York. They visited and explored
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2268-689: The stage. Hayes eventually returned to Broadway in 1935, where for three years she played the title role in Gilbert Miller 's production of Victoria Regina , with Vincent Price as Prince Albert, first at the Broadhurst Theatre and later at the Martin Beck Theatre . In 1951, she was involved in the Broadway revival of J.M. Barrie 's play Mary Rose at the ANTA Playhouse . In 1953, she
2322-655: The use of her home, Pretty Penny, for a dinner to launch the hospital's endowment fund. Hayes died on March 17, 1993, of congestive heart failure in Nyack, New York . Hayes's friend Lillian Gish , the "First Lady of American Cinema", was the designated beneficiary of her estate, but Gish had died only 18 days earlier. Hayes was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Nyack and was survived by her son, James Gordon MacArthur, and four grandchildren: Charles P. MacArthur, Mary McClure, Juliette Rappaport, and James D. MacArthur. In 2011, she
2376-451: Was Gertrude Berg , who wanted him to play Jake, her husband on The Goldbergs , which he did for six months. He continued as a radio actor but soon began to pitch shows directly to advertising agencies. While at Brooklyn College , he recruited fellow student Irwin Shaw to write scripts, giving the author his first paid writing job. Shaw later based a character on Brown in his 1951 novel about
2430-495: Was 92YTribeca, a performance space in the Tribeca neighborhood that opened in 2008. The venue at 200 Hudson Street contained a movie theater, lecture hall, cafe, and art gallery. The 92YTribeca location would be closed in 2013. In February 2013, the Y fired Sal Taddeo, who served as director of facilities, after allegations were raised of a kickbacks scheme. Taddeo was the son-in-law of Catherine Marto, Adler's personal assistant; Marto
2484-748: Was also on the board of directors for the Greater New York Council of the Girl Scouts of the USA during the early 1970s. In 1982, Hayes dedicated Riverside's The Shakespeare Center with New York theatre producer, Joseph Papp , and in 1985 she returned to the New York stage in a benefit for the company with a reading of A Christmas Carol with Raul Julia , Len Cariou , Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio , Carole Shelley , Celeste Holm and Harold Scott , directed by W. Stuart McDowell. The next year Hayes performed
2538-568: Was an American actress. Often referred to as the "First Lady of American Theatre", she was the second person and first woman to win the EGOT (an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award) , and the first person to win the Triple Crown of Acting . Hayes also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom , America's highest civilian honor, from President Ronald Reagan in 1986. In 1988, she was awarded
2592-714: Was an aspiring actress who worked in touring companies. Her father, Francis van Arnum Brown, worked at a number of jobs, including as a clerk at the Washington Patent Office and as a manager and salesman for a wholesale butcher. Hayes's Catholic maternal grandparents emigrated from Ireland during the Great Famine . Hayes attended Dominican Academy 's prestigious primary school, on Manhattan's Upper East Side, from 1910 to 1912, appearing there in The Old Dutch , Little Lord Fauntleroy , and other performances. She attended
2646-501: Was considered a comeback—she had suspended her career for several years due to her daughter Mary's death and her husband's failing health. In 1955, the Fulton Theatre was renamed for her. In the 1980s, business interests wished to raze that theatre and four others to construct a large hotel that included the Marquis Theatre . Hayes's consent to raze the theatre named for her was sought and given, though she had no ownership interest in
2700-414: Was fired for being uncooperative in the investigation of Taddeo's conduct, and Adler was in turn fired after his affair with Marto was uncovered. Mr. Adler, who suffered depression, committed suicide by hanging. He was replaced by Henry Timms, formerly the Y's deputy executive director for innovation, strategy and content. Timms was the first non-Jewish director of the Y in its history, drawing some criticism;
2754-760: Was honored with a US postage stamp. Hayes was in the inaugural class of inductees to the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1972. In 1972, she received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement . The following year, in 1973, Hayes was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame . In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Hayes's name and picture. In 1983, Hayes received
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#17328552313322808-407: Was hospitalized a number of times for asthma , which was aggravated by stage dust, forcing her to retire from theater in 1971, at age 71. Her last Broadway show was a 1970 revival of Harvey , in which she co-starred with James Stewart . Clive Barnes wrote, "She epitomizes flustered charm almost as if it were a style of acting ... She is one of those actors ... where to watch how she
2862-834: Was the first-ever recipient of the Sarah Siddons Award for her work in Chicago theatre , repeating as the winner in 1969. She returned to Hollywood in the 1950s, and her film star began to rise. She starred in My Son John (1952) and Anastasia (1956), and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as an elderly stowaway in the disaster film Airport (1970). She followed that up with several roles in Disney films such as Herbie Rides Again , One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing and Candleshoe . Her performance in Anastasia
2916-453: Was with Shirley Goodman who was the President of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Brown died on June 4, 2010. Brown's legacy lives on in the Himan Brown Charitable Trust, which has endowed a Senior Program at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. He also has an archive of his work at the University of Georgia . Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur ( née Brown ; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993)
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