David O'Neil

For the Australian comedian, see Dave O'Neil.
David N. O'Neil (July 23, 1874 - June 9, 1947), also known as Dave O'Neil, was an American businessman and poet of the early 20th century. He was also an occasional stage actor. In 1937, he built an outdoor theatre on his estate in Cos Cob, Connecticut for his family to use, which is known as the O'Neil Outdoor Theatre.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Joseph and Catherine O'Neil. He received the LL.B. from the law school in Washington University. He became president of the O'Neil Lumber Company in 1908 and soon retired a very wealthy man at age 48, and moved with his family to Paris.

O'Neil and his wife were close friends of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife Hadley. They had known O'Neil from St. Louis, and Hemingway wrote an acidulous sketch based on O'Neil. O'Neil published only one volume of poems, 1918's A Cabinet of Jade, the title suggested by Zoë Akins. He also contributed to a number of influential poetry reviews of the day, including The Little Review and Poetry. He co-edited the 1923 book, Today's Poetry: An Anthology, with Nelson Crawford.

He married his wife, the former Barbara Blackman (1880-1963), on June 10, 1903. She was a socialite and suffragette, the daughter of George and Carrie (Horton) Blackman. His daughter was Academy Award-nominated actress Barbara O'Neil.

• David O'Neil (2007) [1918]. A Cabinet Of Jade. Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 0-548-33510-9.