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Fred Eastman

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Fred Eastman
Born(1886-07-11)July 11, 1886
Lima, Ohio, U.S.
DiedApril 2, 1963(1963-04-02) (aged 76)
Claremont, California, U.S.
EducationWooster College (BA)
Columbia University
Union Theological Seminary
Occupations
  • Theologian
  • teacher
  • playwright
  • author
  • journalist
Spouse
Lilla Frances Morse
​
(m. 1914)​
Children2

Elmer Fred Eastman[1][2] (July 11, 1886 – April 2, 1963) was an American Presbyterian theologian, professor, author, playwright, lecturer and journalist. He was the managing editor of the periodical, Christian Work, and a contributing editor to The Christian Century. For the final 26 years of his career he was professor of Biography, Literature and Drama at the Chicago Theological Seminary.[3][4]

Early life and career

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A native of Lima, Ohio,[5] Eastman was one of four children born to attorney Robert C. Eastman and Lealine Berry.[6] [7] He attended Lima High School, Wooster University, Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University.[4]

On May 22, 1911, at Brooklyn's Central Presbyterian Church, in what The Brooklyn Eagle later dubbed "one of the longest drawn-out meetings of the Presbytery ever held," Eastman, together with three similarly inclined candidates, became a fully ordained Presbyterian minister despite his avowed agnosticism.[8] From 1919 to 1924, he was director of education for the Presbyterian National Board of Home Missions.[9][10][11] In March 1926, Eastman was appointed chair of Chicago Theological Seminary's newly established department of religious literature and drama,[12] a post he held until his retirement in 1952.[4]

In May 1950, in the wake of polls expressing mass approval of U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Eastman, in a published statement endorsed and later disseminated by the Claremont Wider Quaker Fellowship, likened threatened deployment of the hydrogen bomb to Herod's Slaughter of the Innocents.[13][14][15]

Personal life and death

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On August 4, 1914, in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, Eastman, then Pastor of the Reformed Church of Locust Valley, Long Island, married fellow UTS alumnus Lilla Frances Morse, in a ceremony held in his bride's home and conducted by her brother, the Rev. Charles Morse.[16] The marriage produced two sons.

On April 2, 1963, at age 76, Eastman died at Pilgrim Place, a retirement community in Claremont, California, survived by his wife and sons.[4]

Selected works

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Unless otherwise indicated, all information derived from Open Library and/or Log College Press.[17][18]

Books

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  • Fear God in Your Own Village. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1918.
  • Playing Square With Tomorrow. New York: Council of Women for Home Missions, Missionary Education Movement. 1921.
  • Unfinished Business of the Presbyterian Church in America. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press. 1921.
  • Modern Religious Dramas. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1928. (compiled and edited).
  • Religion and Drama: Friends or Enemies?: Being a brief account of their historical connection and their present relation. New York: The Century Company. 1930.
  • Drama in the Church: A manual of religious drama production. New York: Samuel French. 1933
  • Ten One-Act Plays. Chicago: Willett, Clark and Company. 1937.
  • Books That Have Shaped the World. Chicago: American Library Association. 1937.
  • Men of Power Vol. I.. Nashvillle: Cokesbury Press. 1938.
  • Men of Power Vol. II. Nashvillle: Cokesbury Press. 1938.
  • Men of Power Vol. III. Nashvillle: Cokesbury Press. 1939.
  • Men of Power Vol. IV. Nashvillle: Cokesbury Press. 1939.
  • Men of Power Vol. V. Nashvillle: Cokesbury Press. 1940.
  • Christ in the Drama. New York; MacMillan. 1947. [19]
  • Writing the One-act Religious Play.. 1948.

Plays

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  • Bread: a play in one act. 1925
  • The Triumph of the Defeated. 1929.
  • The Tinker: a play in three acts. 1930.[20]
  • Courtship: a comedy in one act. 1930.
  • America on Trial: a pageant play in one act. 1932.
  • The Great Choice: (an incident of the next war) a play in one act. 1932.
  • Our Lean Years: a play in one act. 1933.
  • The Doctor Decides: a play in one act. 1934.
  • The Examination: a play in one act. 1937.[20]
  • American Saint of Democacy: a play in one act. 1942.
  • Prexy and Son: a play in three acts. 1942.
  • An American Family. 1951.[3]
  • Satan Walks Again. 1961.[21]

References

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  1. ^ "Presbytery Argues Long Over Seven Candidates; Four of the Applicants for Ordination Had Agnostic Views; All Were Finally Passed". Brooklyn Eagle. May 23, 1911. p. 3.
  2. ^ Annual Catalogue - Union Theological Seminary, 1910-1911. New York : Union Theological Seminary. December, 1910. p. 12.
  3. ^ a b Marquise-Who's Who, Inc. (1989). Who's Who in America With World Notables, Vol. IX 1985-1989. St. Louis: The Von Hoffman Press. p. 275. ISBN 0837902177.
  4. ^ a b c d "Fred Eastman Services Set; Noted Teacher; Headed Department at Seminary". Chicago Tribune. April 6, 1963. Sec. 2A, p. 12.
  5. ^ "Rev. Eastman, Lima Native". The Lima Citizen. April 10, 1963.
  6. ^ "United States Census, 1900", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMCM-DPR : Thu Apr 11 19:30:23 UTC 2024), Entry for Robert E Eastman and Lealine B Eastman, 1900.
  7. ^ "Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPQK-CJPV : Fri Mar 08 06:21:44 UTC 2024), Entry for Elmer Fred Eastman and Lilla Frances Morse, 3 August 1914.
  8. ^ "Presbytery Argues Long Over Seven Candidates; Four of the Applicants for Ordination Had Agnostic Views; All Were Finally Passed". The Brooklyn Eagle. May 23, 1911. p. 3.
  9. ^ "Oppose Intervention; Attitude of Southwestern States Reported on Mexico". The Kansas City Sun. p. 7.
  10. ^ "Our Frontiers Are Now in the Cities". The Hackensack Record. December 5, 1923. p. 2.
  11. ^ "Attacks Methods of Church Finance". The Brooklyn Eagle. June 15, 1924. p. 35.
  12. ^ "Lima-ite Gets Chicago U. Post". The Lima Gazette and The Lima Republican. March 24, 1926. p. 3.
  13. ^ Dujardin, Richard (August 19, 1995). "Religion: Peacemaker? Morality of using atomic bomb still triggers theological debate". Leader-Telegram. p. 4.
  14. ^ Eastman, Fred (May 30, 1950). "Open Forum: The H-Bomb and the World's Children". The Eldora Herald Ledger. p. 2.
  15. ^ "Dr. Eastman's H-Bomb Plea Pleases Quakers". The Los Angeles Times. July 18, 1954. pt. 1A, p. 3.
  16. ^ "The Rev. Mr. Eastman to Wed; Pastor Will Wed Miss Lilla Morse of Vermont". Brooklyn Eagle. July 27, 1914. p. 4.
  17. ^ "Fred Eastman: Works. Open Library.
  18. ^ "FRED EASTMAN (1886-1963)". Log College Press.
  19. ^ Lawson, Edna B. (August 10, 1947). "Dr. Fred Eastman Discusses Christ's Influence on Drama". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Sec. II, p. 11.
  20. ^ a b "First Baptist Dramatics Group Will Present Play". The Herald Sun. December 16, 1946. p. 12.
  21. ^ "New Eastman Play Set at Pilgrim Place". Pomona Progress-Bulletin. April 24, 1961. p. 9.

Further reading

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