The child of free blacks who moved North just prior to the Civil War, Mary Eliza Mahoney began working as an untrained practical nurse at twenty-years old. To supplement her income, Mary took on janitorial duties at the New England Hospital for Women and Children. In 1878, she was accepted into the New England Hospital’s …
Pete Smith began his career, humbly, as an aide on the vaudeville circuit. He soon found work with Louis B. Mayer as a publicity manager for Mayer’s studio. He was promoted to doing voice overs and editing on short subjects and sports-related newsreels. Based on his sense of humor, Pete was given his own series …
Nathan Sawaya attended and graduated from New York University with bachelor’s and law degrees. He began practicing law in Hollywood, California with the international law firm of Winston & Strawn. In 2004, Nathan left his career in law to create sculptures out of Lego full-time. While not an employee of the Lego company, he has …
Louise Harrison came to the United States from her native England in the 1950s. She settled in Illinois with her husband, a Scottish expatriate. She lived the unassuming life of a mid-Western housewife. In the early 1960s, Louise’s younger brother George formed a rock band with two young men he had recently met. The pair …
“Slice! Shit!”
As a student at Northern Illinois University, Cynthia Ann Cichorski took DJ duties at the campus radio station. She parlayed her communications degree as a reporter for a local radio station using the more “radio-friendly name “Morgan.” After graduation, Cindy worked as the on-air weather forecaster at a Rockford TV station. Eventually, she made her …
Much like Lou Costello, Tom Smothers was a character. His stammering naiveté was a concisely conceived and performed character. That’s right — a character. Tom was a star competitor in track and field at San Jose State College, as well as a competitive unicyclist. Tom, along with his younger brother Dick, set out to be …
