Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to Gift Replacement of Hattie McDaniel’s Academy Award to Howard University
In a historic move, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy Museum have announced that they will be gifting a replacement of Hattie McDaniel’s 1939 Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for “Gone with the Wind” to the Howard University Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts. This announcement comes as the school prepares to host a special ceremony titled “Hattie’s Come Home” at its Ira Aldridge Theater in Washington, D.C., on October 1.
Hattie McDaniel’s legacy as a groundbreaking artist who changed the course of cinema and influenced generations of performers cannot be overstated. Academy Museum Director and President Jacqueline Stewart and Academy CEO Bill Kramer expressed their excitement for presenting the replacement award to Howard University, stating, “This momentous occasion will celebrate Hattie McDaniel’s remarkable craft and historic win.”
It is important to note that McDaniel did not receive a statuette but a plaque, as was customary for supporting performance winners from 1936-42. Upon her death in 1952, McDaniel bequeathed her Academy Award to Howard University, where it was displayed in the university’s drama department until the late 1960s. Unfortunately, its whereabouts today remain unknown.
McDaniel’s award holds a significant place in Academy history as it would be 51 years before another Black woman would win an acting Oscar—Whoopi Goldberg for her role in 1990’s “Ghost.”
Phylicia Rashad, dean of the Boseman College of Fine Arts, shared her personal connection to the story, stating, “When I was a student in the College of Fine Arts at Howard University, in what was then called the Department of Drama, I would often sit and gaze in wonder at the Academy Award that had been presented to Ms. Hattie McDaniel, which she had gifted to the College of Fine Arts. I am overjoyed that this Academy Award is returning to what is now the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University. This immense piece of history will be back in the College of Fine Arts for our students to draw inspiration from. Ms. Hattie is coming home!”
The gift of a replacement award not only honors Hattie McDaniel’s contribution to the world of cinema but also serves as a powerful symbol of representation and recognition for Black artists in the industry. The ceremony at Howard University will undoubtedly be a momentous and impactful occasion for both the university and the film industry as a whole.