Robert Edward Nail, Jr.
Albany, Shackelford County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Robert (Bobby) Nail graduated from Albany High School in 1926. In New Jersey, at Lawrenceville Prep. School and Princeton U., his literary activities were highly acclaimed. Nail directed theater groups in Fort Worth, Dallas and Abilene before returning to Albany. In 1938, he wrote Doctor Shackelford’s Paradise, which became Fort Griffin Fandangle, the oldest outdoor musical in Texas. His production of the nativity is still presented in Albany. He was named outstanding citizen of Albany in 1947, and appointed to the Fine Arts commission of Texas in 1966. His legacy can be found in the Old Jail Art Center, Robert E. Nail Archives, and Robert Nail Scholarship Fund.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Albany native Robert "Bobby" Nail carried a Princeton-honed literary talent back to his small West Texas hometown, directing theater across North Texas before settling home for good. In 1938 he penned the pageant that grew into the Fort Griffin Fandangle, an outdoor musical that has become the oldest of its kind in Texas and still fills Albany's summers. His name endures through the Old Jail Art Center, a scholarship fund, and an archive of his work.
Why it matters
Nail shows how one determined artist could root a lasting cultural tradition in rural America, turning a Shackelford County town into an unlikely home for enduring outdoor theater.
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Related people
- · Robert Edward Nail, Jr.
Related events
- · Fort Griffin Fandangle
Themes & tags
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