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Billy B. Van
Billy B. Van (born William Webster Van de Grift; August 3, 1870 – November 16, 1950) was a prominent American entertainer in the early decades of the 1900s. He was a star, progressively, in minstrel shows, vaudeville, burlesque, the New York stage, and movies. Under another name, he was a well-known dairy farmer and agriculturist. And, at the same time he was a manufacturer of soap products. Late in his career, he reinvented himself as a nationally known motivational speaker, and a Yankee goodwill ambassador. Biography Early life Billy B Van was born William Webster Van de Grift in 1870, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. (He sometimes stated it was 1871.) His parents were George W. Van de Grift, and Henrietta. His father was a railroad engineer. His grandfather was a dairyman from the Netherlands. Early entertainer years Van's entertainment career spans some 48 years (1879 to 1927). In many ways it reflects the change in American entertainment. The arc went from minstrel sho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harvard Theatre Collection - Billy B Van TCS 1
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyman John Harvard (clergyman), John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and one of the most prestigious and highly ranked universities in the world. The university is composed of ten academic faculties plus Harvard Radcliffe Institute. Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, The Faculty of Arts and Sciences offers study in a wide range of undergraduate and graduate academic disciplines, and other faculties offer only graduate degrees, including professional degrees. Harvard has three main campuses: the Cambridge campus centered on Harvard Yard; an adjoining campus immediately across Charles River in the Allston neighborhood of Boston; and the medical campus in Boston's Longwood Medical and Academic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
