Kate Lawson papers

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Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669
Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions on personal use. Permission to publish material from the Kate Lawson papers must be obtained from Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Preferred citation:

Kate Lawson papers, C0222, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
0.25 linear feet (1 box)
Creator:
Lawson, Kate Drain
Abstract:
The Kate Lawson papers include newspaper clippings and press releases on Federal Theatre Project productions, FTP administrative correspondence including job descriptions, memorandums on employee reclassification, complaints from employees and audience survey questionnaires, research lists, production records, and personal correspondence.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Kate Lawson papers, C0222, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University Libraries.

Background

Scope and content:

The Kate Lawson papers include newspaper clippings and press releases on Federal Theatre Project productions, FTP administrative correspondence including job descriptions, memorandums on employee reclassification, complaints from employees and audience survey questionnaires, research lists, production records, and personal correspondence.

Biographical / historical:

Born Kathryn Drain on July 27, 1894 in Spokane, Washington, her family moved to Washington, D.C., in the early 1900s. Drain left D.C. to become a nurse's aide in Paris, France, during World War I. She served in World War I in Paris as a nurse and in World War II in India with the American Red Cross. It was in Paris that she met and married John Howard Lawson, and she began her theatrical career. By 1922 she was working on Broadway as a technical director, costume and stage designer, and actress. She joined the FTP in July 1936 and headed the Bureau of Research and Publication and was the Chief Technical Officer for the FTP in New York City. She resigned in September of 1937 and moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a career in film and television.

Acquisition information:
Donated to Special Collections and Archives by Kate Drain Lawson on October 31, 1977.
Processing information:

Processing and EAD markup completed in October 2012 by Greta Kuriger Suiter.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard