How did the Academy Award statue get the nickname “Oscar”?
Nicknames rarely make sense. Heck, we’ve never understand why “Richard” was shortened to “Dick.” Equally perplexing is why the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences calls their golden statuettes “Oscar.” There are two predominant theories, but neither is definitive. The most popular story involves Academy librarian Margaret Herrick, who would later become the Academy’s executive director. Allegedly, she declared that the statue looked like her Uncle Oscar. As the illustrious Academy’s official site notes, this is an “unsubstantiated story,” but the fact that they even acknowledge it gives the theory credibility. Another possible explanation has to do with the great Bette Davis. Some believe the legendary actress gave the statue its nickname in honor of her first husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson Jr. If this is
