Maureen Dragone (January 20, 1920 – February 8, 2013) was an American journalist and author. She was one of the longest-standing members of the

Hollywood Foreign Press Association The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) is a nonprofit organization of journalists and photographers who report on the entertainment industry activity and interests in the United States for media (newspaper, magazine and book publication ...

which presents the annual

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

s. In 1978 she founded the

Young Artist Association The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for youn ...

, which presents the annual

Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

Early life

Dragone was born Maureen Laing in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

. She moved to

North Hollywood, Los Angeles North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...

with her parents at the age of 10 and attended

North Hollywood High School North Hollywood High School (NHHS) is a public high school in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is located in the San Fernando Valley and enrolls approximately 2,500 students. Several neighborhoods, in ...

. Her father, Canadian

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

veteran, Captain Alfred Benson Laing, was a builder and writer for trade journals, and her mother, Nora Laing, was an entertainment correspondent for numerous international publications and co-founder of the

(HFPA). Discussions regarding the formation of the HFPA, which presented the first annual

s ceremony in 1944, are said to have taken place at the dining room table in her childhood home.

Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Dragone wrote for numerous international newspapers and magazines and was said to have interviewed hundreds of celebrities throughout the course of her career. She was a member of the

for more than 50 years and was regarded as the "recognized historian" of the HFPA. In 2005, Dragone authored the book ''Who Makes the Golden Globes Go Around?'' which chronicled the history of the HFPA and its annual

s ceremony. Prior to her death in 2013, she was the only living HFPA member to have attended all 70 Golden Globes ceremonies and was bestowed with an honorary "lifetime membership" to the association.

Young Artist Association

In 1978, Dragone founded the Youth in Film Association (now known as the

), which presents Hollywood's annual

s to specifically recognize and honor outstanding contributions of child stars working within the entertainment industry who might otherwise be overlooked for other industry awards when judged alongside their adult counterparts. The association also sponsors the Young Artist Foundation which grants scholarships to young performers who may be physically and/or financially challenged, enabling them to attend a performing arts school of their choice. As of 2013, the Young Artist Awards and the Young Artist Foundation scholarship fund are still presented annually.

Personal life

Dragone lived in

for the majority of her life and was married to Michael Dragone until his death in 1986. She had two children; Michael, Jr. and Shirley. She had three grandchildren; Heather, Holly and Frank, and four great-grandchildren; Samantha, Don, Alexandra and Benjamin. In 1987, Dragone became the companion of Dan Kitchel, whom she would remain with for the next 25 years, until her death in 2013. In one of her final statements, Dragone was quoted as saying, "I did everything that I ever wanted to do, and did it my way."

Death

Dragone died on February 8, 2013 at a hospice in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

following a brief illness. After her death, a statement was posted on the HFPA's Golden Globes website, which read, "She will be missed, and was loved by so many people." The Young Artist Association that she founded announced its plans to feature a memorial tribute at the 34th Annual Young Artist Awards ceremony in her honor.

References

External links

Young Artist Awards
official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Dragone, Maureen 1920 births 2013 deaths American women writers Writers from Los Angeles Writers from Phoenix, Arizona American women journalists North Hollywood High School alumni 20th-century American philanthropists 20th-century American women 21st-century American women