Dale Olson
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Dale Olson | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 20, 1934 Fargo, North Dakota, United States |
| Died | August 9, 2012 (aged 78) Burbank, California, United States |
| Spouse |
Eugene Harbin (m. 2008) |
Dale C. Olson (February 20, 1934 – August 9, 2012) was an American writer and publicist who represented prominent actors and film directors during his career, and an early gay rights activist.[2][3][1][4]
In 1954, he became the first man to appear on television in the United States and self-identify as homosexual, albeit using a pseudonym with his face obscured.[5][better source needed] He served on the public relations coordinating and executive committee for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for twenty years, including three years as the committee's chairman.[3] Beginning in the 1970s he spearheaded and launched film publicity campaigns.[2][3][1]
Dale Olson was born near Fargo, North Dakota to a young unmarried couple. His biological father was a lineman for a telephone company who had gotten into an accident and died. At around the age of three, his biological family put him up for adoption since they were unable to raise another child. A couple named Arthur Edwin Olson and Edith Weigt were not able to have children of their own, so they welcomed Dale Olson into their family.[6]
The biological and adoptive families of Dale Olson were both Lutheran. Dale Olson's adoptive paternal grandfather, Charles Olson, was born in Sweden. Dale Olson's adoptive maternal grandparents, Samuel Weigt and Johanna Taron, were ethnic Germans from Russia.[7]
