The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-04-21
CONRAD NAGEL is A KEOKUK PRODUCT
The Most Noted, Popular,
Praised and Illustrious Ac-
tor on the American Stage
Today Was Born Here
to Rise Quickly in
Later Years to the
Topmost Place
in His Profess
sion.
by G. Walter Barr. I

10y VI. waiter Barr.
When Conrad Nagel leaped into the
lime light among the famous folk in
the topmost place on the American
stage. Keokuk joyously added another
/ name to her long list of celebrities
who are her most remarkable product.
| With her United States supreme
court justice, five cabinet officers, half
dozen generals, international must
Clans, governors. foreign ministers,
| tWenty-eisht authors, several play
Wr1ghts, and the rest Of the long lost so
familiar here, that list had hitherto
contained the name of but one really
well known actor, Mary imberman OF
precious memory. Since he is emphat-
i1cally approved by Boston, lauded by
Los Angeles, San Francisco and Port
land, selected for the actors hall of
/ fame by Saint Louis and Cincinnati,
after capturing New York and break
ing alPrecords of success in New Eng
land, Conrad Nagel is fixed as another
star in Keokuk's flag Haunting her
achievement as the mother of men
twho do big things.
Conrad Nagel was born at SO North
Fifth street in the row Of houses on
the west side Of that street above Full
ton street while his father, now DR..
poser and pianist was uplifting Keo-
kuk unsteady, and his mother was
singing occasionally in the public per-
formances of various kinds directed |
by her husband or Professor Halle, act |
ing for awhile as soloist in the Pres
byterian church, and being popular
vocalist.
Baptist Preachers and His Parents.
1t is through his mother that Conrad |
Nagel, a star of the first magnitude I
on tile stage, is a direct descendant of |
Roger Williams. the premier Puritan,
and an intervening line of Baptist min
listers. Moreover, those most intimate
with the family are quite sure that
Conrad Nagel would never have been
a great actor except for the influence,
stimulation and training he received
from his mother, daughter of that line
of Baptist preachers. That mother is
a remarkably brainy, brilliant, ambi-
tious and efficient woman, and from
that day her frstborn greeted her in
that house on North Fifth street she I
has devoted all her energies and her
many talents to the development of
her children. She can write in the
most fetching fashion, but has printed
very little; she is very thorough and
superbly trained musician who sell
dom sings; she is a master diplomat
attending only to the family affairs;
she is q poet and an artist who never
writes verse nor paints-and she is
happy that the expression Of all these
.hfngs has reached full fruition in her
eldest son and made him noted actor
While he is yet almost a youth.
Fathers seldom get proper credit for
he success of their children, and :
frank Nagel deserves a share Of cred c
t for the attainments OF his son. At c
er twenty years. Keokuk still remem- t
'ers with respect. regard and real ap- I
probation what Frank Nagel did for
t unsteady while he lived here before '
ittaining his own laurels. This mas. I
er musician is one of the most level \
headed well balanced, sensible, bus I
nesslike men alive-a man who would I
lave succeeded as manufacturer, If t
re had not chosen to be musician t
Ie is. that paradox and also an edu- v
ator. Hence, his son was not trained a
nd nodded for the stage, but was de- il
'eloped into an actor-there is a vast |;
difference right there. d
A Long, Quick Leap Upward r
That father, that mother, and the s
ind fates that caused him to be born fl
n Keokuk. foreordained Conrad 7
,ageps remarkable success which, is a
he topic today wherever managers o
nd stage folk congregate and gossip. q
He studied dramatics for years, had a
little appearance before the aud tt