James Ward

James Theodore Ward (September 15, 1902 – May 8, 1983) was a playwright and theatre educator during the first half of the 20th century and one of the earliest contributors to the Black Chicago Renaissance. Often referred to as the "dean of black dramatists," Ward was well known for tackling controversial topics related to African-American urban life during the Great Depression.

A prolific writer, Ward composed more than thirty plays and co-founded the Negro Playwrights Company with Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson and Richard Wright. His best-known play is perhaps the drama Big White Fog (1938)