He was the lyricist and composer of some of the music for the Almanac show and was the author/co-author of a variety of copyrighted music in the recording industry.[4] In the 1950s, he was the assignor for a variety of patented technologies.
He later became an oil and gas producer as well as becoming involved in mining industry applications of oil and gas technology by means of what is called solutions mining. He made philanthropic donations to create several professorships at Notre Dame University.
Michael P. Grace II, along with being one of the producers, wrote some of the music and lyrics for the show as well.[14]Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, who wrote most of the music and lyrics, started their careers in Broadway theatre with this show, going on to write songs for The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees over the course of the next two years (1954–1955).[15][16] Singer and actress Hermione Gingold, originally from England, started her Broadway career as well with this show. She and fellow cast member Billy de Wolfe would go on to win the 1954 Donaldson Award for Male and Female Debut in a Musical. In the same award ceremony, Harry Belafonte won Best Supporting Actor in a Musical.[17]
Grace, along with having created some of the music and lyrics to his Broadway production, had written a variety of copyrighted songs for the recording industry as well. He wrote/co-wrote the music for Teeny, Weeny Martini (1953) and Cradled in the Arms of Love (1953) with Sammy Gallup and Helmy Kresa.[19][20] He and John Rox, a fellow lyricist and composer from the Almanac show, wrote Let a Little Time Go By (1954).[21] He also did musical collaborations with Clay Boland and Alfonso D'Artega. (Please See Discography Below).
Personal life
Michael Grace and Corinne Bissette were married at the Sacred Heart Chapel on the University of Notre Dame campus in 1954. Notre Dame was Mike Grace's alma mater.
While his Almanac musical was on stage on Broadway, Michael Grace married Corinne Bissette, an actress and graduate from the Women's College at the University of North Carolina. The wedding was held at Michael Grace's alma mater, the University of Notre Dame at the university's chapel of the Sacred Heart. The wedding took place on April 26, 1954. At the time of the wedding, he was president of Fatima Charities in New York City.[7]
According to the NPR (National Public Radio) article about Billie Holiday, Billie Full Of Grace: How Billie Holiday Learned to Sing at the House of the Good Shepherd, Grace, a fellow Catholic, stepped up to pay for her funeral in 1959.[80]
He provided the charitable contributions for the Michael P. Grace Chair in Medieval Studies at the University of Notre Dame in the US. The professorship is a part of scholarly work in medieval research. A good example of the professorship's success was its encouragement for the writing of the book Aquinas on Human Action: A Theory of Practice[81] by Ralph McInerny, Michael P. Grace Professor of medieval studies in the department of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. His charitable contribution also created a professorship and assistant professorship in economics at the university.[82]
^Patent #173,481 COMBINATION SKIRT, CAPE, AND BLOUSE
Iris Flores, New York, N.Y., assignor to Michael P. Grace, New York, N.Y. Application July 14, 1953, Serial No. 25,932
^Patent #189,534
PERFUME VIAL, Christy M. Del Mas, New York, N. Y., assignor to Michael P. Grace, New York, N. Y. Application September 11, 1952, Serial No. 21,422
^Patent #170,679 SANDWICH AND HORS D'OEUVIRE TRAY
Christy M. Del Mas, New York, N. Y, assignor to Michael F. Grace, New York, N. Y. Application December 12, 1952, Serial No. 22,682
^Patent #10,526
FINGER, RING FOR HOLDING PERFUME Christy M. Del Mas, New York, N.Y., assignor to Michael P. Grace, New York, N.Y. Application May 4, 1953, Serial No. 24,831
^Patent #12,270
HOLDER FOR RAZORS AND BLADES
Christy M. Del Mas, New York, N. Y., assignor to Michael P. Grace, New York, N.Y. Application May 4, 1953, Serial No. 24,836 Term of patent 14 years
^Patent #170,527
HARMONICA RING
Christy M. Del Mas, New York, N.Y., assignor to Michael P. Grace, New York, N.Y. Application May 4, 1953, Serial No. 24,834
USPTO.GOV
^170,680 TOOTHBRUSH Christy M. Del Mas, New York, N.Y., assignor to Michael P. Grace, New York, N. Y. Application May 11, 1953, Serial No. 24,949
USPTO.GOV
^171,584 DOLL, Christy M. Del Mas, New York, N.Y., assignor to Michael P. Grace, New York, N. Y. Application May 13, 1953, Serial No. 24,990
USPTO.GOV
^Patent #172,134
COMBINED TOY WHISTLE AND HOLDER THEREFOR OR SMLAR ARTICLE Christy M. Del Mas, New York, N.Y., assignor to Michael P. Grace, New York, N.Y. Application August 19, 1952, Serial No. 21,112
^175,763 CARRYING DISPLAY CASE, Christy M. Del Mas, New York, N.Y., assignor to Michael P. Grace, New York, N. Y. Application May 21, 1953, Serial No. 25,152
USPTO.GOV
^Patent #176,109 POURING LID FOR CANS
Christy M. Del Mas, New York, N.Y., assignor to Michael P. Grace, New York, N.Y. Application May 6, 1953, Serial No. 24,872
USPTO.GOV
^2,739,737
DSPENSING CLOSURE FOR COLLAPSEBLE TUBES
Christy M. Del Mas, New York, N.Y., assignor to
Michael P. Grace, New York, N.Y.
Application June 10, 1953, Serial No. 360,767
USPTO.GOV
^2,760,303
ARTICULATED FGURE TOY
Christy Michael Del Mas, New York, N.Y., assignor to
Michael P. Grace, New York, N.Y.
Application March 18, 1953, Serial No.343,087
USPTO.GOV
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