Background
Persons, Fern was born on July 27, 1910 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Daughter of John William and Alpha Valeska (Solberg) Ball.
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Fern Persons
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Fern Persons, American actress. Recipient Otto Kahn prize Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, 1933; Fern Persons Day named in her honor Mayor Richard M. Daley, Chicago, July 27, 1999. Member American Federation of television and Radio Artists (board member, vice president), American Association of University Women (scholar 1927), Zeta Phi Eta (vice president 1971, Distinguished Service award 1994).
Education
She later received a Bachelor of Fine Arts of acting from Carnegie Institute of Technology, now called Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from both colleges. Once she graduated from Carnegie, Persons worked in Detroit in radio for a short period.
Career
Her film credits included Field of Dreams and Hoosiers. Persons served on the national board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild (Screen Actors Guild) from 1976-1998. She also sat on Screen Actors Guild"s Chicago Branch Council for 44 years and the American Federation TV and Radio Artists Chicago Local Board for more than thirty years.
Much of her work at Screen Actors Guild and American Federation TV and Radio Artists focused on improving the professional acting opportunities for older actors.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in drama from Kalamazoo College in 1933. She was also awarded the Otto Kahn Prize for excellence in acting at Carnegie.
The family, which now included a newborn daughter, then moved to Chicago so Persons could pursue her acting career in the latter half of the 1930s. She was elected to the Chicago Branch Council in 1962 and served for forty-four years until 2006, when she stepped down only because she could no longer drive.
She also served more than thirty years on the American Federation TV and Radio Artists Chicago Local Board.
Persons was elected to the Screen Actors Guild National Board in 1976, and served on that body until 1998. During that time, from 1977-1981, she was elected Screen Actors Guild 5th national vice president She served as a Screen Actors Guild Regional Branch Division representative on television/Theatrical and Commercials negotiating committees throughout the 1980s and intermittently through the 1990s.
She died in her sleep on July 22, 2012, five days before her 102nd birthday in Littleton, Colorado.
Achievements
Membership
Member American Federation of television and Radio Artists (board member, vice president), American Association of University Women (scholar 1927), Zeta Phi Eta (vice president 1971, Distinguished Service award 1994).
Interests
Connections
Married Max I. Persons, October 17, 1935 (deceased November 1971). 1 child, Nancy Janice Persons Rockafellow.
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Born
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Died
July 22, 2012 (aged 101) -
Nationality
United States -
Religion
Methodist -
Political Party
Democrat
Education
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1931
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1933
Awards
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Recipient Otto Kahn prize Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, 1933. Fern Persons Day named in her honor Mayor Richard M. Daley, Chicago, July 27, 1999.Recipient Otto Kahn prize Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, 1933. Fern Persons Day named in her honor Mayor Richard M. Daley, Chicago, July 27, 1999.