H. William Fitelson (January 21, 1905 – May 19, 1994 ) was an American entertainment lawyer with Fitelson & Mayers, managing director of the Theatre Guild, and a founding board member of the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...

. He also served on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Early life and education

Fitelson was born in New York, NY, on January 21, 1905. He attended public schools. He graduated from

New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private law school in Tribeca, New York City. NYLS has a full-time day program and a part-time evening program. NYLS's faculty includes 54 full-time and 59 adjunct professors. Notable faculty members include E ...

in 1927 and passed the bar.

Career

He took up the practice of entertainment industry law in New York City. His clients worked in theater and film, including Broadway personalities and investors. Clients included

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and

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, and

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and Ethel Merman. Author

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called him "a feisty Napoleon of the theater." "While practicing law in the firm of Fitelson and Mayers, Fitelson advocated for many causes." He served as general counsel and managing director of radio and television programming for the Theatre Guild. He was a member of the original board of directors of the Actors Studio upon its formation in 1948. He was a sponsor of the National Lawyers Guild. He also served on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In September 1946, he published an article, "The Murders in Monroe," in the September 1946 issue of '' The New Republic''. He was responding to the murders in July of four young African Americans in the Moore's Ford lynchings in Georgia, which had outraged people across the United States. Fitelson raised numerous questions intended to identify issues in the case and challenge statements that had already been made by some figures. The ACLU was among civil rights organizations urging President Harry Truman to take action in the case. From the 1940s through the 1960s, Fitelson was involved in the production of musicals and dramas, as well as motion pictures. He retired from Fitelson & Mayers (also known as Fitelson, Mayers & London) in the mid-1980s.

Personal life

Fitelson married Anita. They had two daughters, Margaret and Robin, and a son, David Fitelson. He became a doctor. Fitelson had a wide circle of acquaintances, and corresponded with New York intellectuals such as philosopher

Sidney Hook Sidney Hook (December 20, 1902 – July 12, 1989) was an American philosopher of pragmatism known for his contributions to the philosophy of history, the philosophy of education, political theory, and ethics. After embracing communism in his youth ...

and art historian Meyer Schapiro. He died at home in New York City at age 89 of obstructive cardiopulmonary disease.

Bibliography

* ''Theatre Guild on the Air'', edited by H. William Fitelson (1947) * ''H. William Fitelson Letter to Kurt Weill, 1949, July 22'' (1949)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fitelson, H. William 1905 births 1994 deaths American entertainment lawyers New York Law School alumni Lawyers from New York City 20th-century American lawyers