Roger L. Stevens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roger L. Stevens
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Roger Stevens
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| Born |
Roger Lacey Stevens
March 12, 1910 |
| Died | February 2, 1998 (aged 87) Washington, D.C., United States
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| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | theatrical producer and real estate developer |
| Spouse(s) | Christine Gesell |
| Children | 1 |
Roger Lacey Stevens (born March 12, 1910 – died February 2, 1998) was an American who worked in many fields. He helped create plays, managed arts groups, and bought and sold buildings. He was the first leader of two very important arts organizations: the Kennedy Center (started in 1961) and the National Endowment for the Arts (started in 1965).
Contents
Roger Stevens' Life Story
Roger Stevens was born in Detroit, Michigan. He went to school at The Choate School. He planned to go to Harvard University, but his family faced money problems. So, he couldn't go. He studied at the University of Michigan for one year. Then, he left college. During the Great Depression, he worked in a factory and at a gas station.
Early Career in Real Estate
In 1934, Roger started working with buildings and land in Detroit. By 1937, before he was 30, he had earned a good amount of money. He led a group of people who bought the famous Empire State Building in 1951. They paid $51 million, which was a huge amount of money back then. He more than doubled his money when he sold his share of the building three years later.
In 1953, Roger and some partners started a company called Unico Properties. They planned to build on a large area near the University of Washington in Seattle.
Working in Politics
Roger also played a part in politics. In 1956, he was the chairman of the finance committee for the Democratic Party. This meant he helped raise money for the party.
A Career in Theater
Roger Stevens produced over 100 plays and musicals. Some of his most famous shows include West Side Story, Bus Stop, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. In 1971, he received a special award called the Special Tony Award for all his work in theater. He was known for bringing new and exciting plays to the stage. These plays were by writers like Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard.
Roger was also involved with other theater groups. He helped lead the Actors Studio. He was also a producer for the Playwrights Company. He was on the board of the American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA). In 1953, he started a Broadway producing company with Robert Whitehead and Robert Dowling.
Leading National Arts Organizations
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy asked Roger to help create a "National Cultural Center." Roger became the chairman of the board for this center. It was later named the Kennedy Center. He led the Kennedy Center from 1961 to 1988.
In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson chose Roger to be the first chairman of the National Council on the Arts. This group was later named the National Endowment for the Arts.
Awards and Recognition
Roger Stevens received many honors for his work.
- In 1986, he was added to the American Theater Hall of Fame.
- On January 13, 1988, President Ronald Reagan gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is one of the highest awards a civilian can receive in the United States.
- In 1988, he also received the National Medal of Arts.
Roger Stevens' Family Life
Roger Stevens was married to Christine Gesell Stevens. She started the Animal Welfare Institute in 1951. Roger helped her organization as its treasurer until he passed away. They had one daughter named Christabel.
Roger had some health problems later in his life. He had his first heart attack in 1970. In 1993, he had strokes that made it hard for him to move and speak.
Roger Stevens passed away from pneumonia on February 2, 1998. He was 87 years old. He died at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Stage Productions by Roger Stevens
Here are some of the plays and musicals Roger Stevens helped produce:
- Broken Glass (1994)
- The Kentucky Cycle (1993)
- She Loves Me (1993)
- Shadowlands (1990)
- Death of a Salesman (1984)
- On Your Toes (1983)
- Bedroom Farce (1979)
- Deathtrap (1978)
- Old Times (1971)
- Indians (1969)
- Half a Sixpence (1965)
- Slow Dance On the Killing Ground (1964)
- Strange Interlude (1963)
- A Man for All Seasons (1962)
- The Caretaker (1961)
- The Visit (1958)
- A Touch of the Poet (1958)
- West Side Story (1957)
- Time Remembered (1957)
- The Rope Dancers (1957)
- Separate Tables (1956)
- The Waltz of the Toreadors (1956)
- Bus Stop (1955)
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955)
Images for kids
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Roger Stevens in 1986
See also
In Spanish: Roger L. Stevens para niños
