Frank Duane Rosengren

Frank Duane Rosengren, playwright, poet, lyricist, screenwriter and producer, died peacefully at home Thursday at the age of 83. At his side, were his wife, Camille, and daughter Emily Ferry. Born on August 8, 1926 in Chicago, Frank was the only child of Knute Frank Sr. and Florence Kednay, who were the owners of the longtime downtown cultural landmark, Rosengren's Book Store. Having moved to San Antonio in 1935 at the urging of State Senator Harry Hertzberg, the Rosengrens purchased the historic eighteenth century Zambrano House. Frank's first play, "The Nuts of the Roundtable", was published in Story Parade Magazine when he was just ten years old. Graduating from Jefferson High School in 1944, Frank then served with the Special Services in the US Air Force from 1944 to 1946. He attended the University of Chicago and graduated in 1951 with a B.A. in liberal arts and also received an RCA-NBC Fellow in Drama to Yale University in 1955-56. Frank spent two years in Mexico, writing and working in the editorial department at Churusbusco Studios. He returned to San Antonio and married Emily Camille Sweeney on January 13, 1951. Later that year, Tennessee William's mentor, Margo Jones, produced one of Frank's first plays, "Walls Rise Up" at the nationally known Theatre 51 in Dallas. The couple then moved to New York, where Frank became a Staff Writer on the CBS television series, "Omnibus", adapting George Bernard Shaw's "Androcles and the Lion" and writing "Call It Courage", an episode starring then Senator John F. Kennedy. In addition, Frank worked as a Production Assistant on several Broadway shows including CAN-CAN and ONDINE starring Audrey Hepburn. Among the many plays and screenplays Frank wrote were "Suddenly, A Thief", 1952, "Faces for Charlie", 1954, "A Delicate Question", 1956, "Touch Fire", 1957, "Jimmy and The River", 1958, "Guitar" awarded the John Golden Grant, 1959, "A Smaller Joy", "Teeth of the Devil" Roger Corman Productions, 1961 and "San Jose Story", produced by the Texas Historic Theatre, 1962. In 1963 Frank became a Program Consultant/Producer and Writer for San Antonio's KENS-TV. During the sixties, Frank wrote and produced the popular High School quiz series, "On The Spot." In 1966, his play "Prophets of Light" was produced at the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium. Frank served as Special Consultant on Theme Development for Hemisfair '68 and was also the Editor of "El Abrazo", the Hemisfair newsletter. Frank was instrumental in helping launch KLRN, serving as an Executive Producer there for ten years. For KEDT, he was a consulting producer on "Lone Star", an eight part series based on T.R. Feherenbach's book on the history of Texas. The shows aired on more than 200 television stations nation wide. In 1974 he received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to narrate, write and produce "Pilgrims to the West" depicting Spanish colonization in the Southwest. Frank was an advisor, writer and/or producer for such varied organizations as the American Cancer Society, "Learning To Live", 1972; The Department of the Army, "Centuries of Service" awarded the Silver Medal, Television Documentary, New York, 1974; as well as The United States Air Force, The American Bar Association, The San Antonio Conservation Society, "Los Dos Laredos" Committee and the Inter-American Education Center, In addition, Frank served as casting consultant on three locally shot Hollywood films; "Viva Max", "The Getaway" and "Sugarland Express". For many years, Frank wrote a column for the North San Antonio Times and the San Antonio Light. He also penned film and theater reviews. Frank was a member of the Writer's Guild of America, The Dramatist Guild, an alumnus of New York's 'The New Dramatist', and the National Association of Educational Broadcasters. He was also a past Board Member of The San Antonio Council of Music Theatre, The San Antonio Little Theatre Council and Our Lady of the Lake Community Arts Center. Frank Duane Rosengren is listed in both Who's Who in the South and Southwest and Who's Who of the American Theatre. A wellspring of area historical lore, connoisseur of story-telling, possessor of a writer's observational skills, gifted conversationalist and blessed with ample wit, charm, curiosity and a diplomat's temperament, Frank Rosengren was the rare "scholar and a gentleman" who truly lived up to the justly earned appellation. He was a loving and much loved husband, father, son and friend.

MEMORIAL SERVICE

WEDNESDAY

MAY 5, 2010

5:00 P.M.

FIGGI'S PLACE