Oscar Hammerstein II

(1895 - 1960)

As first baseman for Columbia University’s freshman team, Oscar Hammerstein II lost part of a finger during a ballgame. He was also one of Broadway’s most influential librettists. “What few people understand,” said Stephen Sondheim, “is that Oscar’s big contribution to the theater was as a theoretician.” Among Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers’ successful collaborations were Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I, and The Sound of Music.