Margaret_Perry
Margaret Perry
American librarian and actress (1920–2006)
Margaret Houghton "Peg" Perry (née Hepburn; May 17, 1920 – February 20, 2006) was an American librarian and actress. She is known for her work at Canton public library from 1950 until her death in 2006 and was honoured as emeritus librarian in 1999. Her popularity is often overshadowed by her sister, the actress Katharine Hepburn.[1]
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Margaret Perry | |
|---|---|
| Born | Margaret Houghton Hepburn (1920-05-17)May 17, 1920 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | February 20, 2006(2006-02-20) (aged 85) Canton, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Bennington College |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse |
Thomas Perry
(m. 1941, divorced) |
| Children | 5 |
| Parent |
|
| Relatives | See Houghton family |
Margaret Houghton Hepburn was born on May 17, 1920, in Hartford, Connecticut, as the youngest child of the six children of Katharine Martha Houghton Hepburn, a suffragist, and Thomas Norval Hepburn, a physician.[2][3] She had three brothers, Thomas "Tom" Houghton, Richard "Dick" Houghton, and Robert "Bob" Houghton Hepburn, and two sisters, Katharine Hepburn and Marion Grant.[3]
Peg graduated from Bennington College.[2] In 1940, she conducted studies and research on Algae in the Panama Canal.[1]
Marriages and children
Peg was married to Thomas Perry, a physician, at Elkton, Maryland, on August 4, 1941.[4][5][3] They had four sons, Thomas Hepburn, Robert Gibbs, Scott Houghton, and Lansford Wilder Perry, and a daughter, Margaret "Nome" Hepburn Obermeyer.[4][3][6] They later moved to Washington, D.C., where they lived together until their divorce.[4][5] In 1946, Peg purchased a farmhouse on Barbourtown Road to raise her children and resided there until her death.[2][7]
Death and legacy
Peg was a heavy smoker.[2] She died at her residence in Canton Center Historic District, Canton, on February 20, 2006, at the age of 85.[6][2][3] Peg was featured in Ann Seldi's directed documentary The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians Through Film (2007), based on interview with her.[8]
Peg started her career as a librarian by establishing a library at Cherry Brook Elementary School and Cherry Brook High School.[2] In 1950, she became a children's librarian at Canton public library and was appointed as the library director from 1978 until 1999.[2] As a librarian, Peg was known for her ability to find books, articles, and archives at the library.[2] She was referred by The New York Times as "the librarian who hung on resolutely to her card catalogue when the library was computerized".[7]
In 1999, when a new public library was established in Dyer Avenue, Peg was honored as emeritus librarian.[2] She was then given a suite of two small rooms to help her work on tracking local history.[2] Peg then served as town constable and was elected for a second term in November 2005, and served until her death.[2]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Keeper of the Flame | Uncredited | ||
| 1957 | Desk Set | Uncredited | [8] | |
| 1995 | Party Girl | Uncredited | [8] |
Citations
- Jensen 1940, p. 50.
- By (February 21, 2006). "CANTON LIBRARIAN PEG PERRY DIES". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- By (February 21, 2006). "PERRY, MARGARET "PEG" H." Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- Houghton & Haughton Surname Project
- "Marriage of Hepburn / Perry". Daily News. August 8, 1941. p. 310. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- "Margaret Perry Obituary (2006) - Canton, CT - Hartford Courant". Legacy.com. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- Fitzpatrick, Jackie (October 18, 1992). "A Hepburn Festival, Home Movies and All". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
- Ramin, Lilly (2006). "The Hollywood Librarian Seeks to Break Stereotypes". American Library Association. New Orleans. p. 4.
General and cited sources
- Jensen, Oliver O. (January 22, 1940). "The Hepburns". LIFE. Time Inc.