A New Chair - A New Era – Dr. James W. Hawes

In the fall of 1975, Dr. James W. (Jim) Hawes became Chairman. He replaced Mr. John Irvine, who left for a position at another institution.

Dr. Hawes brought immediate and positive changes to the department. In addition to being an outstanding director, he instituted the Guest Artist Program, whereby well-known actors, mainly from television, were invited to act with the students. He also started the popular First Nighters’ dinners. Kathleen Harshberger ’80, and GeorgAnne Voland ’79, were student assistants who helped Dr. Hawes in setting up and coordinating the First Nighters’ dinners.

First Nighters’ were a group from the larger community who paid to come to campus for cocktails and dinner and attended the opening night of the current show. A bridge to the community, this proved to be a very popular and well-attended function which helped raise interest and money for the theatre program. First Nighters’ were well supported not only by the City of Radford but by all of the surrounding communities. (This became the inspiration for Curtain Up! which was revived in 2012, by Kathleen Harshberger ‘80 when she was Development Director for the College of Visual and Performing Arts.)

The first Guest Artist was Marion Ross who appeared in Cactus Flower in 1976. Ms. Ross had just finished the first season of the television hit show “Happy Days ”

She had expressed concern about the level of acting experience among the students, but Dr. Hawes assured her that there was a faculty member on staff who would act opposite her. Thus, it was established that Chuck Hayes would play opposite a large number of our guest artists.

The guest artist program was strongly supported by then-President Dedmon. He funded it through a “Special Projects” fund that he established by using money from the drink machines on campus.