ACHIEVING ee ALLREDS by Lou Gladwell It would probably take several months for the average person to read the 12 books, plays, Magazine articles and other literary output of the Thatcher Allred family. The four livin members — Dr. Gordon T. Allred, Mrs. Joan Allred Sanders, Mrs. Penny Allred Wright, and of cour- i ~*A.., OD iy a ho aay “ Ys se, father Allred, have made their marks variously as educators, writers, actors, play directors and theater designers. The mother, Mrs. Pearl Oberhansly Allred, was of the same stamp, and before her death in 1970 she had collaborated with her husband weekly ventures radio in for 15 years broadcast, Reading,’ in a ‘Ad- working with over 800 scripts. She also had taught literature at Weber termittently for 10 years. in- Many of his books are popular in libraries married and bookstores. to the Wallace of Ogden. ‘‘Kamikaze,’’ story based on former He is Sharon a non-fiction the life of a Japanese suicide pilot, has sold about half a million paperback copies and has been translated into several languages. Another with a World War II background is “The Hungry Journey,” relating the experiences of John Overdek, Sr., of Ogden, a Dutch . underground leader war. during the Gordon Allred’s books on wildlife include ‘‘Old Crackfoot,”’ featuring the life of a grizzly bear; “Dori the Mallard,” about a mallard drake, and ‘“‘Lonesome Coyote,” a novel. “If a Man Die,” on the subject of immortality, and seine novel V. on ey of Tomorrow,” a the conflict between religious philosophy and the question of death and suffering, are his books on religion, while “Immortality,” a work on the writings of Mormon leaders and scholars on future existence, is awaiting publications. The Denver Post, the column, ‘‘For Women Only,”’’ written by Dr. Allred and Ogden physician Lindsay R. Curtis, a great triumph itself in journalism. The column is published by 45 newspapers. And the youngest of the family, nied che he cae» « They all are Mrs. Penny Allred Wright, now is assisting her husband with the ‘‘products” of Weber State College, either as students or teachers or both. Thatcher Allred is in his top 70s, a surprising statistic. Fer several years prior to his retirement from 6 ewe _— the college in 1965 as a professor writing of roduced documentary in’San Anslmo, ment of Education, known as the Wright Films.’ While at High Penny had won several laurels for her writing abilities. of speech, he was known fondly as “the grand old man of theater.” He had more than deserved the appellation because of his more than 30 years in theater, directing head of the WSC Theater Department. He also earned a reputation as a romantic actor during the 1930s when he performed in downtown Ogden theaters — all the oldtimers can remember. the Rex history,’’ she said. Joan then did a lot of very careful research before writing her stories, which are all historically accurate, including the works of fiction. Her books include a biography, “La Petite,” a tale about de la Vailiere, the first mistress of Louis 14th. In England the book was published under the title of ‘The Devoted Mistress.” is “‘The Marquis,” a Witches,” the latter Bp eeercd works, written in collaboration with Captain Geoffrey Hall, are among her other which have elped link the Allred family to its international activity. Joan is now theater organizations. The son, Dr. Gordon T. Allred, a working on another book tentatively entitled ‘‘Henriette.”’ It is professor of English who is also well known as a teacher of about the sister of Charles II of creative writing, has written and has published seven books as well England. Thatcher Allred’s involvement Penny Allred Wright Gordon: “I always knew when Dad was ready to put on a play because the furniture in the front room began disappearing.”’ The father for a long time was that era while working as a young head of the theater department, woman in the Salt Lake Library. and was still knee deep in theater “It was a very lively riod of . work when the college moved to Musketeer,’’ and “The Nature of Theater in this connection — rented by the community and civic as articles in many magazines of national circulation. His output includes books dealing with the LDS ee exciting yarns about wildlife in Utah, and non-fiction accounts of World War II actions. creative Joan is a scholar of 17th century Paris and the days of Louis IV, and her five published novels are basically about that period. She acquired a scholarly interest of historical novel about the court of Louis IV. The book was also published in two foreign countries under two titles, in France as “Les Presses,” and in Germany as “Geliebte Athenais.”’ ““Baneful Sorceries,’’ and ‘‘D’ Artagnan — the Ultimate community and civic theater an as Standing before the familiar arches of the W SC Fine Arts Center, Mrs. Joan Allred Sanders, Thatcher Allred and Dr. Gordon T. All red reminisce over days and activities at the college. Another around 60 plays for the college serving films Calif., or the California State Depart“Brad Ogden | San Francisco Chronicle and other giants of the newspaper world carry the tri-weekly syndicated Pearl O. Allred @ with theatricals stretches across more than 30 years. For many years on old lower campus while the school was a junior college, he was the sole play director. Recalls its present campus, where he had the honor of producing the first major play production with the opening of the Fine Arts Center. Perhaps his most challenging assignment came when he served as chairman of the faculty committee assigned to work with the architect in the planning of interior features of the Fine Arts Center, which was to become the home of college and alumni theater in Ogden. The palatial Structure’s most heavily used facilities are its three auditoriums used for theatricals, musicals and other cultural offerings. Mr. Allred, Dr. John M. Elzey, Therald Todd and others connected with Weber State Theater worked “extensively for three years and intensively for two years’’ with architect Keith W. Wilcox designing the building. It is nO exaggeration to comment that Mr. Allred is the unsung hero of that gargantuan task. This account of an achieving family is sketchy because of space limitation, and there’s more chapters father plans to come to write and — the. direct additional plays, Gordon and Joan are working on more books. But on top of all this, the Allreds are just awfully nice people to know, modest, sincere, stimulating. friendly and