The Philolexian Society of Columbia University
Robert C. Schnitzer
WPA Federal Theatre; ANTA international exchange; Theatre Guild's American Repertory Company.
From Notable Alumni · Foundation editorial
WPA Federal Theatre; ANTA international exchange; Theatre Guild's American Repertory Company. Robert C. Schnitzer (CC 1927) ran enough American theatre, in enough institutional capacities, that one is surprised to discover he was also briefly an actor. The WPA's Federal Theatre Project occupied him during the late thirties; ANTA's international exchange program in the fifties; the Theatre Guild's State Department-backed American Repertory Company in the early sixties. He outlived most of his colleagues and at the time of his death in 2008 (at 101) was the oldest surviving Philolexian of his era.
Vital
- Full name
- Robert C. Schnitzer
Columbia & the Society
- Columbia
- Class of 1927 (Columbia College)
- Society role
- elected treasurer [Spec, 1926-05-12]
- Society role
- continuing treasurer [Spec, 1927-02-21]
Works (22)
- 1928 King Henry V (as Duke of Bedford) · Broadway revival, performer
- 1929 Richelieu (as Duran) · Broadway, performer
- 1930 First Night (as Hicks) · Broadway, performer
- 1932 Cyrano de Bergerac (as A Marquis) · Broadway revival, performer
- 1934 Hamlet (as Rosencrantz) · Broadway, performer
- 1935 Federal Theatre Project — Delaware State Director and Deputy Regional Director · WPA Federal Theatre Project
- 1936 Cyrano de Bergerac (assistant stage manager & as Le Vicomte de Valvert) · Broadway revival, New Amsterdam Theatre
- 1949 ANTA Experimental Theatre seasons · General manager, American National Theatre and Academy, New York
- 1950 American Ballet Theatre — first European tour · Organized under ANTA
- 1951 Oklahoma! (Rodgers & Hammerstein) — Berlin Festival · ANTA / Theatre Guild presentation abroad
- 1952 Electra (company manager) · Broadway
- 1952 Four Saints in Three Acts (Stein / Thomson) — Paris Festival · ANTA presentation at the Congress for Cultural Freedom Paris Festival
- 1952 Medea (Robinson Jeffers, with Judith Anderson) — Berlin Festival · ANTA international exchange
- 1952 Oedipus Tyrannus (company manager) · Broadway
- 1952 Porgy and Bess (Gershwin) — Berlin Festival · ANTA / President's Special International Program for Cultural Exchange
- 1953 Camino Real (company manager) · Broadway, by Tennessee Williams
- 1958 Jerome Robbins’ Ballets: U.S.A. · Sent overseas under ANTA International Exchange
- 1961 The Glass Menagerie (general manager) · American Repertory Company international tour (28 countries)
- 1961 The Miracle Worker (general manager) · American Repertory Company international tour (28 countries)
- 1961 The Skin of Our Teeth (general manager) · American Repertory Company international tour (28 countries), sponsored by U.S. State Dept./Theatre Guild
- 1962 University of Michigan Professional Theatre Program — Executive Director · Ann Arbor
- 1950 Salut à la France · ANTA cultural-exchange program
Primary sources
The Columbia Daily Spectator
1926-05-12 THURSTON ELECTED PRESIDENT OF PHILO elected treasurer
THURSTON ELECTED PRESIDENT OF PHILO Succeeds Roberts - Barzun, Hopkins and Schnitzer Fill Other Posts. Philip B. Thurston '27 of New Y<)rk City was 1 elected president of Philolexian Society at a recent meeting of that organization, it wa§ announced yesterday. At the same time Jacques M. Barzun '27 was chosen vice-president, Cecil M. Hopkins '27 was named as secretary, and Robert C. Schnitzer '27 was elected treasurer. The Annual Banquet of the society will be held on Friday. This will be the last meeting of the year and will be the occasion of the signing of the historic Philo scroll. Officers Active on Campus The new offiecrs have been active in various extra-fcurrieular activties during their three years on the Campus. Thurston has served Spectator for three years and is at present assistant managing editor of Varsity, has been manager of the Philo Show for two and a half…
1927-02-21 PHILOLEXIAN ELECTS OFFICERS FOR SPRING continuing treasurer
PHILOLEXIAN ELECTS OFFICERS FOR SPRING At last Thursday's meetings of Philolexian, officers for the second half of the year, the Spring Semester, were elected in accordance with the constitution of the society. Three out of the four past officers were reelected, the only change being the election of Warner H. Mendel '27 to succeed Cecil M. Hopkins '27 as secretary. The other three officers will be the same as those for the Winter session; Phillip B. Thurston '27 president, Jacques M. Barzun '27, vicepresident, and Robert C. Schnitzer '27, treasurer.
1926-03-31 CLIFFORD E. NOBES IS ELECTED EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF 'SPECTATOR' elected to Spectator Contributing Board
CLIFFORD E. NOBES IS ELECTED EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF 'SPECTATOR' SHIFTS AFFECT ALL BOARDS William E. Petersen to Be Business Manager of Campus Daily. GEORGE T. SCRIBA IS NEW MANAGING EDITOR Untermeyer Is Advertising Manager—Thurston Assistant Managing Editor. Clifford E. Nobes '27, of New York City, was unanimously elected editor-in-chief of Spectator at a meeting of the Managing Board held yesterday. William E. Peterson '27, of Brooklyn, N. Y., was chosen business manager of the daily. As a result of the elections the following men will complete the 19261927 Managing Board: George T. Scriba '27, of Garden City, Long Island, managing editor; Dewitt E. Untermeyer '27, of New York City, advertising manager and Phillip B. Thurston '27, of New York City, assistant managing editor. Nobes Edited Yearbook. The newly elected members of the Managing Board have been active in class and…
Columbia College Today & other articles
Columbia College Today — vol. 30 (~1987-88), Class of 1927 class notes
...(the late) Phil Thurston and (the still very active) Bob Schnitzer, were members of that Society [Philolexian].
Class notes explicitly identify Bob Schnitzer as a member of the Philolexian Society and 'still very active' as of ~1987-88. Corroborates Society membership.
Columbia College Today — vol. 29 (Fall 1987), 'Literary and facetious' letter to the editor by Frank R. Pitt '28
I was happy to read Thomas Vinciguerra '85's article on Philolexian ... Although there is some controversy, I believe Philolexian may be the oldest college literary society in the country, being founded in 1802. According to the 1925 Columbian it 'enjoys the distinction of being the only society of its kind in America to have enjoyed so long a life.'... As I look back it seems to me that the members of Philo considered themselves the intellectual elite of the campus, and among my contemporaries, in addition to those mentioned in your article, there were such distinguished members as Elliot Bell, fencing champion and widely known economist and government official; Dwight C. Miner, selected as one of the College's outstanding teachers; Hugh J. Kelly, senior vice president of McGraw-Hill; Ferdie Kuhn, Jr., renowned foreign newspaper columnist; Phil Thurston, a judge of the New York City…
Letter to the editor from Frank R. Pitt '28 lists his Philolexian contemporaries by name and distinction. This confirms Society membership for: Elliot Bell '25, Dwight C. Miner '26, Hugh J. Kelly '26, Ferdinand Kuhn Jr. '25, Phil Thurston '27, William Tindall '25, Ivan Veit '28, Warner Mendel '27, and Robert Schnitzer '27. Also affirms 'the members of Philo considered themselves the intellectual elite of the campus.' Also confirms the Society's Thursday-evening meetings, weekly dinners, annual banquet, quadrennial oration (winner rewarded with a bronze bust of George Washington), and the 'jocoserious' approach in the late 1920s and 30s.
Samplings and Chronicles (Barzun, 1927)
Samplings and Chronicles (Barzun, 1927) Leaf / page 2
Named in Samplings and Chronicles (Barzun, 1927) at the referenced leaf.
Samplings and Chronicles (Barzun, 1927) Leaf / page 2
Named in Samplings and Chronicles (Barzun, 1927) at the referenced leaf.
Samplings and Chronicles (Barzun, 1927) Leaf / page 2
Named in Samplings and Chronicles (Barzun, 1927) at the referenced leaf.
The Foundation's research archive
alumni_1925_1985
tick and 'DON.' · Confidence: CERTAIN
alumni_1925_1985
tick and 'DON.' · Confidence: CERTAIN
other_printed_columbian_yearbook
Robert C. Schnitzer · Confidence: CERTAIN
other_printed_columbian_yearbook
printed office: Treasurer; Winter · Confidence: CERTAIN
other_printed_columbian_yearbook
printed office: Treasurer; Spring · Confidence: CERTAIN
other_printed_columbian_yearbook
Robert C. Schnitzer · Confidence: CERTAIN
External references
Community-maintained record
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