The Oscar, gifted to Howard University by McDaniel, went missing decades ago, and now the Academy will provide a replacement
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced plans to replace Hattie McDaniel’s Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, awarded to her in 1940 for her role in Gone With the Wind. McDaniel, the first Black woman to win an Academy Award, left the historic trophy to Howard University upon her death in 1952, where it was displayed in the university’s drama department until it disappeared in the late 1960s. The whereabouts of the Oscar remain unknown, and its disappearance has sparked years of speculation.
The academy’s replacement award will be presented to Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, which now houses the drama department. The university will hold a special ceremony on Sunday to celebrate the replacement, titled “Hattie’s Come Home,” which will include performances and a segment of LaDarrion Williams’ play Boulevard of Bold Dreams, inspired by McDaniel’s life and career.
Phylicia Rashad, the dean of the college and an alumna of Howard, expressed her joy about the return of the Oscar to the university. Rashad, who studied at Howard from 1966 to 1970, fondly recalled admiring McDaniel’s award during her time there. She described the return of the Oscar as a “tangible piece of history” and a source of inspiration for the current and future students of the college.
Speculation about what happened to McDaniel’s Oscar has persisted for years. Some believe it was lost or misplaced during the racial and political upheavals of the 1960s, while others suspect it may have been stolen. Denise Randle, who was tasked with tracking the university’s inventory of artifacts in the 1970s, suggested the Oscar was likely moved to a safe location but was never properly documented. Despite efforts to locate the award, it was never found, leaving the mystery unresolved until now.
