Lincoln Kilpatrick

Lincoln Kilpatrick (February 12, 1931 – May 18, 2004) was an American film, television, and stage actor. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Kilpatrick attended Lincoln University and earned a degree in drama before beginning his acting career. He gained recognition for his role in the Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun and became the first African-American member of the Lincoln Center Repertory Company. Kilpatrick appeared in numerous guest-starring television roles and had bit parts in movies during the 1960s. He was also a co-founder of the Kilpatrick-Cambridge Theatre Arts School in Hollywood, California. Kilpatrick was married to singer and stage performer Helena Ferguson for 47 years until his death from lung cancer in 2004. He had five children, including actor and composer Lincoln Kilpatrick Jr., writer, director, and actor DaCarla Kilpatrick, and actress and director Marianne Kilpatrick.