Francis Cleveland

Cleveland was born in 1903 in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, a part of the town of Bourne.{{cite news |last1=Saxon |first1=Wolfgang |title=Francis Cleveland, Ex-President's Son And a Director, 92 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/10/us/francis-cleveland-ex-president-s-son-and-a-director-92.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=November 12, 2018 |newspaper=The New York Times |page=B-7 |date=November 10, 1995 |via=nytimes.com}} His father, Grover Cleveland, had served as the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, having been in office 1885–1889 and 1893–1897. His mother, Frances Cleveland (née Folsom), had been First Lady. He had a brother, Richard, and three sisters; Ruth, Marion and Esther. As Grover Cleveland was 66 years old when Francis was born, Francis was alive a century after his father had first served as president. In a 1987 interview, Francis Cleveland stated that he had never visited the White House.

Cleveland was educated at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and Harvard College (he did not graduate) in Massachusetts.

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Cleveland was a stage actor in New York City for seven years. He appeared in various performances including Dead End by Sidney Kingsley and Our Town (as Sam Craig) by Thornton Wilder on Broadway. With his wife Alice, and his producer Edward P. Goodnow, Cleveland co-founded The Barnstormers Theatre, a theatre company in Tamworth, New Hampshire, in 1931.{{cite news |title=Francis Cleveland |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/172388058/?terms=%22Francis%2BCleveland%22 |accessdate=November 13, 2018 |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=November 10, 1995|page=29|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=registration }}{{cite news |title=Francis Cleveland |newspaper=The News-Press |location=Fort Myers, Florida |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/217353435/?terms=%22Francis%2BCleveland%22 |accessdate=November 13, 2018 |date=November 11, 1995|page=4|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=registration }}

After first performing in a barn behind the Tamworth Inn (along with "barnstorming" in other local communities), in 1935 his mother bought a store in Tamworth, and in 1936 the group began performing in a theater constructed in the back of that building. It remained the group's home stage for the remainder of Cleveland's life. Cleveland directed plays for the company, and selected the plays they performed, which he estimated to have been more than 400 in number by 1993.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-an-actors-7-decades-on/176522619/ |title=An actor's 7 decades on the stage |first=D. Quincy |last=Whitney |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=NH 16 |date=May 30, 1993 |accessdate=July 12, 2025 |via=newspapers.com}}

Cleveland was elected to serve on the board of selectmen of Tamworth in 1950. Running as a member of the Republican Party upon the advice of a friend, owing to local political leanings, he served until 1962.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-theater-founder-measure/176511688/ |title=Theater founder measures life in stages |first1=Shirley |last1=Elder |first2=Richard L. |last2=Lyons |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=NH 3 |date=July 19, 1987 |accessdate=July 12, 2025 |via=newspapers.com}}

Cleveland married Alice Erdman in 1925.{{cite news |title=Cleveland's Youngest Son To Wed Miss Alice Erdman |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/281239481/?terms=%22Alice%2BErdman%22%2B%22cleveland%22 |accessdate=November 13, 2018 |work=The Morning Call |location=Allentown, Pennsylvania |date=January 16, 1925|page=1|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=registration }} They resided in Tamworth, New Hampshire. They had a daughter, Marion C. Cohen, who lived in Baltimore. Cleveland was predeceased by his wife in 1992.

In 1989, Cleveland was honored with a Granite State Award, which recognizes significant contributions to the state of New Hampshire, by Plymouth State College.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-journal-tamworth-resident-is-to-get/176532852/ |title=Tamworth resident is to get Granite State Award |newspaper=Sun Journal |location=Lewiston, Maine |page=13 |date=August 1, 1989 |accessdate=July 12, 2025 |via=newspapers.com}}

In his later years, Cleveland was affected by a degenerative eye disease, and was legally blind by 1993.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-an-actors-7-decades-on/176523562/ |title=An actor's 7 decades on the stage (cont'd) |first=D. Quincy |last=Whitney |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=NH 19 |date=May 30, 1993 |accessdate=July 12, 2025 |via=newspapers.com}} He died on November 8, 1995, in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, at age 92.

• New Hampshire historical marker no. 90: First Summer Playhouse

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{{Grover Cleveland|state=collapsed}}

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Category:1903 births

Category:1995 deaths

Category:People from Bourne, Massachusetts

Category:People from Tamworth, New Hampshire

Category:Phillips Exeter Academy alumni

Category:Harvard College alumni

Category:American male stage actors

Category:American theatre directors

Category:American theatre managers and producers

Category:New Hampshire Republicans

Francis