Founders and Faculty
Some Department of Theatre founders and faculty (in alphabetical order)
Please note that some of these faculty started teaching at one of the predecessor institutions to the Jordan College of the Arts (JCA) before teaching at Butler University, and some of them taught at one of the institutions concurrently with the University.
Both the Metropolitan School of Music (MSM), founded in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1895, and the Indiana College of Music and Fine Arts (ICMFA), founded in Indianapolis in 1907, were purchased by Arthur Jordan in 1928, and merged into one organization, the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music (AJCM). Renamed the Jordan College of Music (JCM) in 1949, the school merged with the University in 1951, becoming the the Jordan College of Music of Butler University, but was more commonly known as the Jordan College of Music (JCM).
For information on current Department of Theatre faculty, please visit the Department of Theatre website.
J. Thomas Adkins (1926-1988)
Originally from French Lick, Indiana, and a World War II United States Navy veteran, J. Thomas Adkins graduated from the Jordan College of Music (JCM) in 1950 with a degree in Speech and Drama. While at JCM, he served as the president of the school’s honorary dramatic fraternity, Intermission, during the 1948-1949 and 1949-1950 school years. He earned a M.F.A. in Dramatic Production from Yale University in 1955. From 1951-1952 he was a producer-director for WFBM-TV, Indianapolis and in 1951, he taught acting at Butler University’s Special Instruction Division.
In 1955, Adkins started teaching at Butler University as an Assistant Professor and he served as the Chair of the Department of Drama from 1962 until 1970. In 1961, while on leave from the University, he was the British Council Scholar attached to the Old Vic Theatre, Bristol, England and to the University of Bristol.
Married to G. Marguerite Carlson, who also taught drama at the University, Adkins later taught drama at the National Theater Institute and was the director of Pace University’s Schimmel Center for the Arts. He also acted in and directed theatrical productions in New England and acted in several television programs credited as Jess Adkins, including Love of Life as Dr. Wade, The Secret Storm as Tom Gregory, The Doctors as Webb Sutherland, and Sesame Street as Carl the Trashman.
G. Marguerite Carlson Adkins (1919-1981)
G. Marguerite Carlson Adkins earned an A.B. in English from Alfred University in New York and a M.A. in Dramatics from Cornell University. She was Chair of the Department of Speech and Drama and taught at Centenary Junior College in Hackensack, New Jersey, before teaching at the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music (AJCM) as an Instructor in Speech-Drama in 1947. While the Chair of the Drama-Speech Department, James R. Phillippe, was on a leave of absence in 1948, she served as the Acting Chair of the department.
Phillippe returned in 1949 and Carlson’s contract was not renewed, along with the contract of another teacher. To protest this, the students went on strike and threatened to boycott their annual spring concerts, leading to the resignation of the organization’s director, Dr. Lloyd F. Sunderman. Their efforts paid off and she was reinstated, working again at AJCM along with Phillippe.
Adkins continued to teach at AJCM until the organization’s merger with Butler University in 1951, after which she taught off and on for the University until 1970. She married J. Thomas Adkins who later taught at the University and served as the Chair of the Drama Department.
Frances Beik (1884-1935)
Frances Beik started teaching drama courses at the Metropolitan School of Music (MSM) in 1916. She studied at St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, at the Columbia College of Expression in Chicago with Donald Robertson, voice technique with Estella Davis at Columbia University, pantomime with Madame Alberti in New York City, and speech with Donald Wheeler at Princeton University; had coaching with Rudolph Teschenor in Vienna during the summer of 1931; and studied choral speaking with Marjorie Gullan in London, England during the summer of 1934.
Starting in 1933, Beik also taught courses at Butler University, directing productions for both institutions, and became the faculty sponsor of Thespis, a student theatre organization at the University. At the same time, participation in Thespis became open to all students, not just those who had taken public speaking courses, allowing more students to participate in theatrical productions.
After Beik passed away on December 23, 1935, dramatic courses at both AJCM and the University were taught by Volney Hampton (Class of 1931),. Books from Beik's personal collection became part of the Frances Beik Memorial Collection of Drama and Speech Texts in the AJCM library.
Jane Ogborn Bruce (1908-1977)
Jane Ogborn Bruce (Class of 1928) earned an A.B. from Butler University and a Teacher’s Diploma from the Indiana College of Music and Fine Arts (ICMFA), both in 1928. That same year, she was also in the University dramatic group Thespis’ production of Dust of the Road, which won the national one-act play contest held at Northwestern University.
For three years Bruce studied at Yale University with drama faculty including George Pierce Baker and Constance Welch, earning a M.F.A. in Drama in 1932. She studied dance and dramatic movement with Gertrude Prokosch and attended the Bennington School of the Dance from 1934-1935, with Martha Hill, Martha Graham, Hanya Hahn, Humphrey and Weidman.
From 1928-1929, she was the executive secretary for the Civic Theatre of Indianapolis and from 1931-1932, was an assistant in the Department of Drama, Yale University. Bruce had professional experience with the Stuart Walker Company, Indianapolis and the Civic Theatre, Indianapolis, and directed productions for the Neighborhood House Players in New Haven, Connecticut, the Bennington Theatre Guild of Bennington College in Vermont, and the Children’s Theatre of Civic Theatre of Indianapolis.
She started teaching Drama and Speech at the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music (AJCM) in 1936 and became chair of the department. In the late 1930s, she was also an Instructor in Drama at Butler University, where she directed student productions, and sponsored the student dramatic organization Thespis.
Jackson K. Ehlert (1905-1982)
After the Jordan College of Music (JCM) merged with Butler University in 1951, becoming the University’s sixth degree granting college, Dr. Jackson K. Ehlert was hired to become the first Dean of the newly created Jordan College of Music of Butler University (JCM).
Dr. Ehlert earned a B.S. in Music Education from the University of Minnesota in 1929, a M.A. in educational administration and psychology from the same institution in 1935, and an Ed.D. from the University of Colorado in 1949. Previously the Dean of the School of Music and Fine Arts at Ithaca College from 1950-1952, he authored many books including Causes for Failure Among Music Teachers and Desirable Attributes of the Music Teacher.
Dr. Ehlert served as the Dean of JCM from July 1952 until retirement in 1972, and after his death, the program for the Romantic Festival XVI, held April 25-May 1, 1983, at Butler University, was dedicated to his memory.
Evelyn Henderson Fife (1886-1969)
Evelyn Henderson Fife (Mrs. Eugene Fife) acted on Broadway and in touring companies. She studied from 1905-1908 at the St. Louis School of Expression, at the Studio-Georges Sbriglia in Paris in 1909, and the American Academy of Dramatic Art from 1910-1911, amongst other training. In the 1920s, she was the host of a children’s story hour in Indianapolis on the radio station WFBM.
Fife started working at Butler University as an Assistant in Public Speaking in 1925 and by 1926, was an Instructor in Public Speaking, a role she held until circa 1933. She also taught at AJCM. However, her title is deceiving as while at the University, Fife directed student productions and served as the faculty advisor for several student theatre organizations including the Dramatic Club; Rido; the University’s chapter of the national honorary dramatic fraternity, Pi Epsilon Delta, sometimes referred to as the National Collegiate Players; and Thespis.
Of all the groups she supervised, Thespis was probably the most successful. The group presented noontide plays on a self-constructed stage in what was known as the Thespis Workshop, a basement room in Jordan Hall, as well other plays in theatres around Indianapolis. Thespis also won national contests while under Fife’s guidance, including a national one-act play contest held at Northwestern University in 1928, as well as a national college dramatic tournament held in Chicago over the NBC affiliated radio station WENR in 1932.
The 1932 Drift, the University’s yearbook, writes about Fife’s role with Thespis that she “has been influential in making the club the most active group on the campus” (p. 144). Besides her work at the University, Fife also directed productions for the Drama Thespians and the Irvington Dramatic Players.
John Green
Originally from England, Dr. John Green came to the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship and later joined Butler University in 1998. He has PhD from the University of Plymouth (United Kingdom) and he became the Chair of the Department of Theatre.
In 2002 he started the Butler International Theatre Exchange (BITE), which invited international guest artists to the University to work with Indianapolis artists and University Theatre students. He has directed plays at the Indiana Repertory Theatre and in 2002 he was awarded a NUVO Cultural Vision Award. Green left the University in 2009 to take a position at Columbia College Chicago. His areas of expertise include acting, performance theory, and stage directing.
Arthur Jordan (1855-1934)
Indianapolis, Indiana businessman and philanthropist Arthur Jordan was a pioneer in refrigerated shipping and owned several companies including the City Ice Company of Indianapolis, the International Machine Tool Company, the Capital Gas Engine Company, and the Keyless Lock Company.
Jordan served on the Butler University Board of Directors from 1927 until his death in 1934. He donated one million dollars to the Butler University building fund, helping to pay for the construction of Arthur Jordan Memorial Hall, which first opened for classes on September 17, 1928.
Additionally, Jordan purchased both the Metropolitan School of Music (MSM) and the Indiana College of Music and Fine Arts (ICMFA), merging them into one organization in 1928, the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music (AJCM). The latter organization merged with Butler University in 1951, becoming the University's sixth degree granting college, known as the Jordan College of Music of Butler University (JCM). The name changed to the Jordan College of Fine Arts (JCFA) in 1979, and in 2012, the name changed again to the Jordan College of the Arts (JCA).
On December 24, 1928, Jordan established a charitable trust, the Arthur Jordan Foundation, with assets valued at $2 million. Still in existence today, the Foundation provided a $500,000 grant towards the construction of Lilly Hall, which opened in September 1963. The Foundation also purchased 75 Steinway pianos for the new building, valued at $200,000.
James R. Phillippe (1919-2003)
James R. Phillippe started teaching at the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music (AJCM) in 1946, but was on leave during the 1948-1949, school year. By 1949, he was back at the school and listed as the Head of the Drama Department.
Besides teaching courses and directing student productions, he coached the AJCM basketball team during their 1947-1948 season. Phillippe earned an A.B. at Indiana University in 1941, a M.A. from Cornell University in 1943, and completed at least some coursework towards a doctorate at both the University of Illinois and The Ohio State University. Previously, he had worked as a part-time instructor at Marshall College from 1944-1945. After AJCM merged with Butler University in 1951, Phillippe continued to teach drama.
Besides his work at the University, Phillippe also worked for the radio station WIRE and as a producer for WBFM-TV. In 1965, he became the Chair of the University’s Radio and Television Department and the manager of WAJC, the student-operated radio station. Phillippe retired from teaching in 1986.
Additionally, Phillippe was an announcer for University basketball and football games, Indiana high school basketball tournament games, and for 54 years was the track announcer for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He was involved in the American Educational Theatre Association and the National Speech Association, was awarded the Butler Medal, and in 1985 was inducted into the Indiana Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Daniel W. Pugh
Daniel W. Pugh (Class of 1968), Associate Professor Emeritus of Theatre, earned a B.A. in Drama from Butler University and a M.F.A. in Costume Design from the Goodman School of Drama, a School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He started teaching at the University in 1971. His main areas of expertise are costume design and construction, directing, acting, makeup, and set design and construction.
He has won numerous costume awards including the Best Costume of the Year Award from the National Costumers Association in 1985 and the Grand International Award in both 1984 and 1989. Pugh also developed the International Flat Pattern Repository and Exchange (IFPRAE) as a way to digitally preserve and share patterns.
Owen Schaub
Dr. Owen Schaub, Professor Emeritus of Theatre, earned a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Hofstra University, a M.A. in Speech and Theatre from Indiana University, and a PhD from Kent State University. A United States Army veteran, his previous experience included work at Dalhousie University; the University of Hawaii where he also served as the technical director of the John F. Kennedy Theatre; and Newberry College where he was Chair of the Speech and Theatre and Humanities Departments.
Schaub started teaching at Butler University in 1980 and served as the Chair of the Department of Theatre several times. He directed productions regularly and taught courses in theatre history, technical theatre, and service learning. His main area of expertise are stage lighting design, scene design, play analysis, and theatre history. Schaub retired from the University in 2017.
Rollo Anson Tallcott (1884-1976)
Rollo Anson Tallcott started working at Butler University in 1921 as the Professor of Public Speaking. He taught courses in public speaking as well as dramatic courses including Play Reading and Dramatic Reading. He also supervised the Dramatic Club, a student theatre organization, and directed plays and coached students in debate and oratory.
By 1922, Tallcott was listed in the University’s bulletin as a Professor of Public Speaking and Dramatic Art. He earned an A.B. from Syracuse University in 1909, and an A.M. from Syracuse University in 1920. Previously, he had worked at Valparaiso University as the Dean of the School of Speech from 1913-1918 and the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts from 1919-1921.
In 1922, Tallcott’s book, The Art of Acting and Public Reading was published by the Bobbs-Merrill Company. Designed to be used in colleges, normal schools, professional schools, and private studios, including in dramatic courses at the University, the book focused on the interpretation of literature for both directors and actors.
While Tallcott was at the University, the number of students participating in the Dramatic Club considerably increased and he worked to get the University’s Chapter of Pi Epsilon Delta, sometimes referred to as the National Collegiate Players, a national dramatic fraternity, installed on May 13, 1925. He resigned in June 1925, to take a position at Ithaca College.
Daniel C. Warrick (1953-1997)
Dr. Daniel C. Warrick earned a B.A. from Purdue University in 1978, a M.F.A. from the University of Georgia in 1980, and a doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1995. He left his position at Southwest Missouri State University in 1990 to become the Chair of the Butler University Department of Theatre.
Warrick often designed the sets and the lighting for many of the department's productions and worked to support the productions of other departments and for interdisciplinary projects. He served on the board of directors for the Indiana Theatre Association, Young Audiences of Indiana, the Washington Township Arts Committee, and Arts Partners. He held memberships in the United States Institute for Theatre Technology and the National Association of Schools of Theatre. A University-wide memorial service was held for Warrick on February 11, 1997.
George Willeford (1920-1994)
George Willeford earned a B.M. Ed. In 1943 and a M.A. in 1950 from Indiana University. A United States Navy Veteran of World War II, he taught radio and television at Indiana University from 1950-1957 where he also announced the play-by-play action for the basketball and football teams.
He later began teaching at Butler University and in 1971 was appointed as Chair of the Drama Department. In other work experience, he served as the weather person for WLWI-TV in Indianapolis, Indiana and also hosted a live morning musical variety show and a news show for this same station. Willeford retired from the University in 1986.
Bernard F. Wurger
Bernard (Bernie) F. Wurger (Class of 1961), Assistant Professor Emeritus of Theatre, earned a degree in Speech from Amarillo Junior College (now known as Amarillo College) in 1953, a B.A. in Radio and Television from Butler University in 1961, an M.A. in Theatre from the University of Cincinnati in 1973, and a M.F.A. in Theatre from the University of Ohio in 1982.
A United States Marine Corps veteran, he started teaching theatre at Butler University in 1970. He taught courses in directing and acting as well as directing student productions. Among his many plays and musicals, Wurger has performed with Starlight Musicals, at the Indianapolis Civic Theatre, and the Indianapolis Repertory Theatre, as well as more than 20 summers at the Brunswick Music Theater.