Adeline O’Connor

Adeline O’Connor, was born in Massachusetts, the daughter of professional sculptor Andrew O’Connor. She was educated in a French convent school and spent much time in Paris, where her brother Andrew, also a sculptor, maintained his studio. Among Miss O’Connor’s neighbors in Paris was Rodin, the sculptor. In the French capital Miss O’Connor appeared on the stage and attracted the notice of Sarah Bernhardt, who urged her to pursue an acting career. In the spring of 1913 Adeline O’Connor was at the Harris Theatre, New York City, in the leading woman’s role in The Master Mind. The following autumn saw her as leading woman of the Columbia Theatre stock company at Far Rockaway, New York, for whom she played Camille and other roles. In 1914 she appeared on stage in The Yellow Ticket and War Brothers. During 1914 and 1915 she wrote several motion picture scenarios. At the time she maintained her home in Holden, Massachusetts. She worked for Thanhouser for a brief time early in 1914 in the God’s Witness. She was not a regular Thanhouser stock player.

In October and November 1915 Adeline O’Connor was the leading woman in stage performances at the Municipal Theatre in Northampton, Massachusetts, at which time local newspapers took note of her involvement in a controversy with the management. She was in Northampton again in 1916, where she took part in Hamlet for the Shakespeare tercentenary. In September 1918 Adeline O’Connor married Col. Henry D. Thomason, commanding officer at Fort Ontario, New York. The groom was 59 years old and the bride was 35. It was his third trip to the altar and her first.