Thomas Montgomery Gregory facts for kids

Thomas Montgomery Gregory (born August 31, 1887 – died November 21, 1971) was an important American figure. He was a playwright, teacher, and activist. He also studied history and philosophy. Gregory was a key leader in the National Negro Theatre Movement.

He worked to create a strong Black theatre movement. This happened in the early 1900s. At that time, minstrel shows were popular. White writers also wrote many plays about Black characters. Black playwrights were just starting to gain attention.

Thomas Montgomery Gregory: A Pioneer in Black Theatre

Building the Howard Players

At Howard University, Gregory started a famous college theatre group. It was called The Howard Players. Before this, students had a Dramatic Club. It was started in 1909 by Ernest Just.

In 1921, Gregory created the Howard University Department of Dramatic Art and Public Speaking. He also helped start The Stylus literary club with Alain Locke. Gregory became the first director of the drama department. Marie Moore Forrest helped as an acting coach. Cleon Throckmorton from the Provincetown Players designed the stages.

Howard's course in Pageantry and Drama was special. It was the first of its kind in the U.S. to offer college credit. Gregory's work at Howard made people interested in Black drama. He worked with famous playwrights. These included Willis Richardson, Paul Green, and Eugene O'Neill.

The Howard Players became very well-known. They offered a place for students to write and perform plays. George Pierce Baker from Harvard University praised them. He said The Howard Players were one of the two most creative college theatre groups in the U.S.

His Early Life and Education

Gregory went to Williston Seminary from 1902 to 1906. Then he studied at Harvard University. He graduated in 1910. Famous people like T. S. Eliot were in his class.

His father, James Monroe Gregory, was also a pioneer. He was one of the first students at Howard University. He later became a faculty member there. Gregory's mother, Fannie Emma Hagan, was also a former Howard student. She helped young students. She worked to uplift "colored women."

In 1910, after Harvard, Gregory became an English Instructor at Howard. He quickly became a Professor. In 1919, he became the head of the department. He married Hugh Ella Hancock in 1918.

In 1919, Gregory started The Howard Players. In 1921, he became the first director of the new Dramatic Art and Public Speaking division. During these years, drama at the university grew a lot. Gregory began to plan his dream of a National Negro Theatre.

Using Art for Change

Early in his career, Gregory believed art could bring social change for Black people. He wrote about this idea in an article called "Race in Art" in 1915. He said, "If art is self-expression, it is necessarily race expression."

Gregory argued that Black people should be proud of their race. He felt that some leaders were not helping. He thought they were trying to be too much like Euro-Americans. He wrote:

"… By race attitude I mean the attitude of the individual members of the Negro race to the race itself. For instead of cultivating a race pride, a race self-respect, a race consciousness, we have sought to un-race ourselves, to avoid whatever might definitely associate us with the Negro race. Even the name itself is to many a stigma and an insult! Goaded by injustice and prejudice we have sought to offset them by disowning the race.”

In 1921, Gregory made a big impact. The Howard Players performed Eugene O’Neill’s "The Emperor Jones". This play was shown to a non-segregated audience in Washington, D.C. Charles Sidney Gilpin, a famous Black actor, played the main role. He had already won awards for this part in New York.

Even though a white writer wrote "The Emperor Jones," Gregory saw its value. He believed it was important for creating a lasting Black theatre. He said Gilpin's acting and O'Neill's writing helped bring serious Black plays to public attention.

Gregory also wanted to show Black artistry to the world. In 1921, The Howard Players performed "Simon, the Cyrenian" for delegates. This was at the World Disarmament Conference. These events were steps toward Gregory's dream. He wanted young Black playwrights to create plays. These plays would feature Black actors and Black themes. They would be mainly for Black audiences. However, he also wanted them performed outside Black neighborhoods. This would allow white audiences to see their art.

Promoting Black Stories

Gregory wanted to promote Black-authored plays. He believed Black people should support Black artists. He once said, "If our poets, novelists, and dramatists are to succeed we must form a large reading public for the products of their pens. Let the slogan be: Read the works of our own writers first!”

His ideas also influenced students at Howard. Critics noted that Howard was trying to build a "native Negro drama." This drama would be performed by Black people. Student Helen Webb and alumna De Reath Irene Byrd Beausey wrote important plays. Poet and playwright May Miller also found success. Her play "Within the Shadow" was performed in 1920. Lottie Beatrice Graham, another student, wrote plays like "The King’s Carpenters" and "Holiday."

In 1927, Gregory wrote an article for the Encyclopædia Britannica. It was called “The Negro in Drama.” Later that year, Gregory and Alain Locke published "Plays of Negro Life." This book collected twenty-two plays. It included works by Howard student Thelma Myrtle Duncan. It also featured plays by Georgia Douglas Johnson, Jean Toomer, and Eugene O'Neill. Artist Aaron Douglas created illustrations for the book.

Later Years and Legacy

Gregory left Howard University in 1924. He took a new job in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He became a Supervisor of Negro Schools. Later, he became a Principal. This new role offered him more opportunities and a better salary.

In New Jersey, Gregory continued to support Black drama. In 1929, he traveled through the South. He gave talks at summer schools. He spoke about educational and community drama. He retired in 1956. In 1960, he moved back to Washington, D.C. Thomas Montgomery Gregory passed away on November 21, 1971. He had been ill with leukemia.

Gregory's family continued his legacy. He was the great-grandfather of actress and comedian Aisha Tyler. His wife, Hugh Ella, was the granddaughter of U.S. congressman John Hancock.