| Summary: | Actress and playwright Gertrude Hadley Jeannette was born on November 28, 1914 in Urbana, Arkansas. Jeannette graduated from Dunbar High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1934, Jeannette eloped, moving to New York City where she became the first woman to drive a cab. Jeannette furthered her education, taking bookkeeping, speech, and acting classes. In 1945, Jeannette was cast in the lead role in Our Town. In 1950, she and Fred O'Neil appeared on television in James Weldon Johnson's God's Trombone on CBS' General Electric Hour. As a result of this exposure, Jeannette performed in Broadway plays like Lost In The Stars, Amen Corner, and The Great White Hope. In 1979, Jeannette founded the H.A.D.L.E.Y. players to give artists a chance to develop their talents and skills in theatre and to enrich cultural life in Harlem. She received the Paul Robeson Award from the Actor's Equity Association.
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