Theatrical Entrepreneur. Augustin Daly is recognized as a well-known American theatre figure of the late 19th century. For three decades, he was a drama critic, theatre manager, playwright, and is credited with being the first stage director in America. Born John Augustin Daly, the oldest of two sons of a sea captain, who ventured into trade in the Caribbean, he was three years old when his father died of a fever. His widowed mother relocated the family from North Carolina to New York by 1849. He and his brother had little formal education but were taught at home at first before being self-taught and attending night classes. His interest was in the theatre. After realizing he was not an actor, he became interested in the behind-the-scenes work of writing, producing, directing and theatrical management. Between 1854 and 1858, Daly wrote at least four plays. In 1859 he became the drama critic for the New York newspaper, "Sunday Courier" along with freelancing at the "Sun," "Express," "Times," and "Weekly Citizen." In nine years, he had gained experience from other theatrical personnel. In 1862 he became involved with the German play "Leah the Forsaken," which he adapted to English and successfully performed in Boston that December. After this experience, he knew that he would work the rest of his life in the theatre and no longer writing for newspapers by 1867. His first known piece of successful original writing was with an 1867 play, "Under the Gaslight." He produced three of Bronson Howard's first four plays: "Saratoga" in 1870, "Diamonds" in 1872, and "Moorcraft" in 1874. On September 17, 1879, the Daly's Theater at Broadway and Thirtieth in New York City opened and had performances by many great actors of the era. He had a dictator-like control over his productions, yet if a play was at the Daly's Theater, it was known by the public to be amazing. Presenting his adaptation of Colley Cibber's "She Would and She Would Not," he was the first to take an American company on successful tours to England, Germany, and France, or to establish a theater abroad. He partnered with English theatrical producer George Edwardes to build a new London theatre, Daly's Theatre, which opened on March 12, 1893. Since he returned to the United States, Edwardes was left to manage the theatre. In 1894, he was awarded the Laetare Medal by the University of Notre Dame. On January 9, 1869, he married Mary Duff, daughter of theater proprietor John A. Duff. The couple had two sons: Leonard, who was born in 1870, and Austin, in 1873. Both of their sons died of diphtheria on January 5, 1885. After recuperating from a long illness, he decided a trip to Europe with his wife would be good for his health and business. Shortly after arriving in France, he had chest pains and later died of pneumonia and heart disease. His remains were returned to the United States, where a front-page obituary was covered in most major newspapers throughout the nation. With standing room only, his funeral was at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City on June 19, 1899 with burial in the Daly Vault at Calvary Cemetery. His vast collection of books was placed on auction after his death. He is the subject of a host of biographies, including his brother's, "The Life of Augustin Daly," which was published in 1917.