Oscar Hammerstein II Romberg; but he is best known for his collaborations with Richard Rodgers, as the duo Rodgers and Hammerstein which include "Oklahoma!", "Carousel", "South Pacific", "The King and I", and "The Sound of Music". Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was born in New York City, the son of Alice Hammerstein (née Nimmo) and theatrical manager William Hammerstein. His grandfather was the German theatre impresario Oscar Hammerstein I. His father was from a Jewish family, and his mother was the daughter of Scottish and English parents. He was raised Episcopalian. Although Hammerstein's father managed the Victoria Theatre for his father and was
Oscar Hammerstein II Show, entitled "On Your Way". Throughout the rest of his college career, Hammerstein wrote and performed in several Varsity Shows. After quitting law school to pursue theatre, Hammerstein began his first professional collaboration, with Herbert Stothart, Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel. He began as an apprentice and went on to form a 20-year collaboration with Harbach. Out of this collaboration came his first musical, "Always You", for which he wrote the book and lyrics. It opened on Broadway in 1920. In 1921 Hammerstein joined The Lambs club. Throughout the next forty years, Hammerstein teamed with many other composers, including Jerome