Margaret Florence Herrick (September 27, 1902 – June 21, 1976),^[1][2] also known professionally asMargaret Gledhill, was an American librarian and the executive director of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1971, the academy's library was named theMargaret Herrick Library in her honor.^[3]

She was born Margaret Buck inSpokane, Washington, to Nathan K. Buck, an attorney, and Adda M. Buck (née Morie).^[4][5]

In 1929, Herrick graduated from theUniversity of Washington with a degree inlibrary science.

In 1929, Herrick became head librarian at the Yakima Public Library inYakima,Washington. She moved toHollywood, California, with her husband and becamethe academy's first librarian. She served in that capacity until 1943, during the war, when she became the interim executive director of the academy, replacing her husband.^[6] In 1945, she was offered the executive director position permanently and held that position until her retirement in January 1971.^[7]

In the mid-1960s, Herrick went on international tours to promote the tenth anniversary of theOscar for Best Foreign Language Film.^[8] Between 1963 and 1968, she visited many international film institutions.^[3]

TheAcademy's extensive library inBeverly Hills,California, of material on films is named in her honor.^[9]

Herrick is generally credited with naming theAcademy Award an "Oscar", declaring the statuettes "looked just like my Uncle Oscar".^[10] However, others, including Academy PresidentBette Davis and Hollywoodgossip columnistSidney Skolsky, have claimed they invented the name.^[11][12][13]

Bette Davis said that the statue reminded her of her husband Harmon Nelson's derrière. Nelson's middle name was Oscar.^[14] However, Davis later relinquished this claim.^[15]

ColumnistSidney Skolsky, who had a syndicated column for over 50 years,^[16] referred to the nickname, "Oscar," in his March 17, 1934, column, which is believed to be the first time the award was called the Oscar in print.

In 1931, Herrick married Donald Gledhill, an assistant to the executive secretary ofthe academy.^[17] She and Gledhill divorced in 1945. She married Philip A. Herrick in 1946, and continued to use his name professionally following their divorce in 1951.^[7]

On June 21, 1976, Herrick died at theMotion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital inWoodland Hills,California, after a lengthy illness.^[18]

• Margaret Herrick Library
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

• Gledhill, Margaret Buck; Christeson, Frances Mary (1941).Classification Scheme for Motion Picture Collections. Hollywood, Calif: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Library.hdl:2027/uc1.b3926458.OCLC 613712320.
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences;University of California, Los Angeles; Gledhill, Margaret (1944).A Series of Papers on University Training for Motion Picture Work. A Project of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Collaboration with the University of California at Los Angeles. Hollywood, Calif:Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,University of California, Los Angeles.OCLC 7851448.University training for motion picture work; assembled by Margaret Gledhill

• Margaret Herrick Library

• 1902 births
• 1976 deaths
• 20th-century American women librarians
• 20th-century American librarians
• Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
• People from Spokane, Washington

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