Billy B. Van(1878-1950)
- Actor
Described by the grandson of Lew Fields (Weber & Fields) as "one of the
most amusing men on vaudeville stage", Billy B. Van was an experienced
and long traveled actor, comedian, dancer, and singer/songwriter both
on the vaudeville and legitimate stages, who, for over thirty years,
both alone, and appearing with the Beaumont Sisters (Rose and Nellie -
he was married to Nellie) and as Van & Corbett (former heavyweight
champion James J. Corbett) was very well known to theater audiences.
After retiring from the stage in the 1920s, he was the President of the
New York City based Pine Tree Products Company - manufacturers of soap
and other cleaning products, and was later elected Mayor of the town of
Newport, New Hampshire.
