Donald Seawell

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Donald R. Seawell was born August 1, 1912 in Jonesboro, North Carolina. His father was Aaron A. F. Seawell, a Justice of The North Carolina Supreme Court. He graduated from The University of North Carolina, and UNC Law School. In 1941 he married Broadway actress, Eugenia Rawls, who played Tallulah Bankhead's daughter in "The Little Foxes." They had two children.

[edit] Career

Seawell was hired to work at the Securities and Exchange Commission by the newly appointed head of the organization, Joseph P. Kennedy. Kennedy had heard Donald Seawell's unflattering comment about him on the radio, where the young lawyer said, "It takes a thief to catch a thief." He was impressed by Seawell's candor, if not his character assessment, and wanted him on his team.

During World War II, Donald Seawell worked on General Dwight D. Eisenhower's SHAEF staff in counterintelligence. After the war, he servied briefly as assistant Ambassador to France.

Entering private law practice in New York, he gathered many theatrical clients including, Tallulah Bankhead, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. He also mainted law offices in London and Tel Aviv, and was involved in writing the charter for the State of Israel. Seawell's theatrical clients led to his becoming a Broadway producer, and his shows included: "Sail Away," "The Affair," and "A Thurber Carnival." He was the first producer to bring the Royal Shakespeare Company to the US in a 1962 production of "The Hollow Crown." He later became a Governor of The RSC as well as Chairman of the American National Theatre and Academy.

Seawell was one of three producers of Bonard Productions, the others being the actress Haila Stoddard, and Denver Post owner Helen Bonfils. In the 1960s he joined forces with Ms. Bonfils to become Secretary-Treasurer of The Denver Post. After Helen Bonfils' death, he became Publisher of the paper.

Using funds from the Bonfils Foundation, he created The Denver Center for the Performing Arts in the late 1970s. He retired as active Chairman of The Center in 2007 at the age of 94.

[edit] Awards

B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League Heritage Award 1973

Distinguished Eagle Award Boy Scouts of America 1976

Tony Award 1983

Arts & Entertainment Cable Network Award 1987

Third Millennium Leadership Award, American Diabetes Association 1995

Colorado Tourism Hall of Fame Award 1999

Mayor's Millennium Award 2000

In 2002 The Queen awarded Donald Seawell The Order of the British Empire.

Colorado Festival of World Theatre Donald Seawell Award recipient 2005

In 2005 he became the 11th recipient of the National Theatre Hall of Fame's Founder's Award

Mayor's 2007 Cultural Legacy Award, Denver