Marny Glasser poses with a bombardier jacket
that her late husband, Harold, wore during World War II.
Harold Glasser was presented with this tiara in honor of his service to the Miss Universe pageant.
Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
The arts have always been an important part of Marny Glasser’s life.
Growing up in Westchester County, N.Y., Glasser loved to draw, paint and create — so much so, that by the time she was 12, she began taking art lessons and later majored in fine arts at Boston University.
After graduation and a short stint as an art teacher, she became an entertainment producer, which eventually led her to meet and work with her late husband, Harold, the long-time president of the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants.
Now living in Highland Beach with her two Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Prince and Buddy, Glasser has returned to the arts, serving as chairwoman of the FAU College of Arts and Letters Advisory Board.
“I’ve come full circle,” she said. “It’s interesting where my paths have led me, which is back to my art. My whole life, it seems, has revolved around the arts.”
Over the years, Glasser has crossed paths with country music stars and other celebrities, along with kings and queens and presidents around the world eager to host the Miss Universe pageant. Her adventures in the entertainment world started in the early 1980s, when she produced a show featuring the magician Blackstone in a long-empty Jersey City, N.J., movie theater.
“I didn’t know a lot about producing but I figured I could do it,” she said.
She produced other shows — one featuring singer Melba Moore — before taking on her biggest musical challenge, producing a major country music festival at Princeton University’s Palmer Stadium.
Not long after the New Jersey concert, Glasser met her future husband at a Valentine’s Day party and soon she was working with him, helping to produce Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants.
A lawyer who helped transform Miss Universe from a small pageant into a worldwide event, Harold Glasser led a fascinating life that included flying 62 missions in a B24 bomber during World War II.
His story attracted the attention of FAU history professor Patricia Kollander, who wrote Courage Takes Flight: An Oral History of the Life and Times of World War II Bombardier Harold Glasser. The manuscript was finished in 2010, shortly before he died.
Marny Glasser later donated a huge collection of her husband’s memorabilia, including his World War II bombardier jacket and a Miss Universe Crown, to FAU, which is housed in the Special Collections and Archives Department at the university’s Wimberly Library.
The collection will be featured during a three-day “Spirit of America Festival: A celebration of Music and Arts” at FAU beginning June 21. It will include a performance of Leonard Bernstein’s 1944 Broadway musical On the Town, featuring maestro Aaron Kula’s 50-member Klezmer Company Orchestra.
Glasser is sponsoring a visit by Jamie Bernstein, who will speak about her famous father.
As chair of the College of Arts and Letters Advisory Board, Glasser is playing a leadership role in raising funds as well as awareness for the programs and performances hosted by the college.
“They have lovely galleries and incredible performances and it’s all right here in our community,” she said. “It’s an amazing university and there’s so much there that people should know about.”
Today, Glasser finds time to mentor young students and share the knowledge she acquired over the years. “I feel very fortunate to have been able to do all that I’ve done,” she said.
— Rich Pollack
Q. Where did you grow up and go to school?
A. I grew up in Yonkers, N.Y., and went to Yonkers High School. Remember Hello, Dolly!? I attended Boston University, where I received my bachelor of fine arts degree.
Q. What are some highlights of your life?
A. My art background led me into promotion and producing concerts. I brought to the Northeast the largest country music festival. We had Roy Clark, the Oak Ridge Boys, Larry Gatlin and many more. It was held at Princeton University in Palmer Stadium. Great fun. Later on I pursued my creative side and became a stone sculptor. I showed and sold my sculptures in many galleries and they are owned worldwide.
Q. What is your favorite part about living in Highland Beach?
A. The beauty and tranquility, sunrises and sunsets. It is a safe, wholesome town, with its own post office, library, Fire and Police departments. I walk my two Cavalier dogs, Prince and Buddy, at all times of the day and night, feeling completely safe. Everyone is so friendly. We stop and meet and greet. Sometimes you know their names, other times not. It is a feel-good place to live.
Q. If you could change anything in your life, what would it be?
A. Meeting my husband, Harold, sooner. We had such an incredible life together, and had that one true love. We both felt so fortunate to have found each other.
Q. What was the best part of being married to the man who was president and executive producer of the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants?
A. The adventure! I got to meet presidents and kings around the world. It was completely amazing, truly a fantasy. A country would roll out the red carpet. They invited Harold to come and view their country’s sites, so that they could host the Miss Universe Pageant. This was huge for tourism, live television that would feature the best that their country offered.
Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax?
A. Cool jazz. It’s soothing and relaxing.
Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?
A. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
Q. If they made a movie of your life, who should play you?
A. My husband once said that Meryl Streep should play me. Who wouldn’t want her to play them? She is a talented, strong woman. I hope I am a little like her.
Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A. My mother, Mildred, always saw the artist within. She gave me art lessons as a child, which did lead me on my path to the love of art.
Q. Who/what makes you laugh?
A. I love to laugh. My dogs have me laughing all the time.
Comments