Harold Jackman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harold Jackman
Jackman by Carl Van Vechten in 1940
Born	August 18, 1901 London, England
Died	July 8, 1961(1961-07-08) (aged 59) Maine, USA
Alma mater	New York University Columbia University
Occupation	Teacher

Harold Jackman (born August 18, 1901 – died July 8, 1961) was a British-born teacher who became a very important supporter of the arts. He especially loved and helped promote African American art and literature.

Harold grew up in Harlem, New York. He was a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, a time when African American art, music, and literature flourished. He worked hard to save and share important cultural items from this period. He helped start the Countee Cullen Memorial Collection at Atlanta University. He also added to other big collections at Yale University, Fisk University, and the Schomburg Collection in Harlem. Harold Jackman also helped create the Harlem Experimental Theater.

Harold Jackman's Early Life and Education

Harold Jackman was born in London, England, on August 18, 1901. His mother, Maud Jackman, was from the West Indies. When Harold was a child, his mother moved with him and his sibling to Harlem, New York.

He went to DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, which was an all-boys school. There, he met Countee Cullen, who became his close friend for life. Harold continued his education, earning his first degree from New York University in 1923. He then earned a higher degree from Columbia University in 1927. After finishing school, he became a social studies teacher. He taught for thirty years in the New York Public School System.

Supporting African American Theater

Harold Jackman was a big fan and helper of African American theater. In 1926, he was a founding member of the Krigwa Players Little Negro Theater. He even directed a play called Plumes by Georgia Douglas Johnson for the group in 1929.

He also helped start the Harlem Experimental Theater in 1929. This shows how much he wanted to see African American stories told on stage. During the 1940s, he was also part of the American Theater Wing Stage Door Canteen.

Modeling and Community Involvement

For more than thirty years, Harold Jackman worked as a model. He was especially known for his work with Ophelia DeVore's Grace Del Marco Agency. He was even featured in a drawing by Winold Reiss called A College Lad in 1925. He also appeared as a character in a novel called Infants of Spring (1932) by Wallace Thurman.

Harold was involved in many community groups. He was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the Urban League, and the Negro Actors Guild. He served on the executive board of the Negro Actors Guild. He also worked as an editor for magazines like New Challenge and Phylon.

Collecting History and Culture

Harold Jackman was a dedicated collector of items related to African American history and culture. His personal diaries and collections have been very helpful for writers and historians studying the past.

His collections are now kept in special places across the country. These include the Amistad Research Center at Tulane University in New Orleans. Parts of his collection are also at Atlanta University in Georgia.

Harold was known for being very social. He often attended important events like the Hamilton Lodge Ball and the Urban League's Beaux Arts Ball. He spent time in Europe, especially in Paris, where he met other artists and writers. He was friends with many famous people from the Harlem Renaissance, such as Langston Hughes, Carl Van Vechten, Wallace Thurman, Claude McKay, and Countee Cullen.

Friendship with Countee Cullen

Harold Jackman was most famous for his close friendship with the poet Countee Cullen. They met in high school and were known as the "Jonathan and David of the Harlem Renaissance." This name shows how strong their bond was. Cullen even dedicated his well-known poem "Heritage" to Jackman.

Harold introduced Cullen to his first wife, Yolande Du Bois, who was the daughter of W. E. B. Du Bois. Harold was the best man at their wedding in 1928. After Cullen passed away in 1946, Harold asked for the collection of artifacts in Georgia to be renamed the Countee Cullen Memorial Collection in his friend's honor. After Harold Jackman died, the collection was renamed the Cullen-Jackman Collection.

Harold Jackman died in a hospital in Maine on July 8, 1961. He was survived by his brother, Bertram Jackman, and his sister, Ivie Jackman.

Harold Jackman's Legacy

Harold Jackman's sister, Ivie Jackman, started the Harold Jackman Memorial Committee. She was the chairman of this committee.

The Cullen-Jackman Memorial Collection at Atlanta University is very important. It helps to show the artistic and creative talents of people of African descent.

The Harold Jackman Memorial Award was also created to honor him. Famous people like Diahann Carroll (in 1973) and Geoffrey Holder (in 1982) have received this award.