WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Dec. 17, 2021 — How do you honor a special professor? One who mentored and supported countless students, alumni, faculty and friends?
The WLU Foundation knows just how to do this and has established a new scholarship to continue the impact made by Professor Stanley Harrison, former theater educator. For details, please read this letter from Angie Zambito-Hill, Executive Director of the WLU Foundation, found below:
There are several names that I’ve come across repeatedly in my work for West Liberty University due to their impact on alumni. These include Raymond Hughes, Paul Elbin, Thomas Babb, Kenneth McMillen, Helen Kelly, and Stanley Harrison. It is the WLU Foundation’s vision to celebrate the legacies of those who had this kind of special impact and to perpetuate their stories for future students.
WLU Theater Director Stanley Harrison passed away in August 2021 and it is our plan to raise funds to establish an endowed scholarship in his memory, to provide financial resources for future theater students, our Hilltop Players.
If you are receiving this letter, you probably know more about Harrison than I do, but I find it important to give a synopsis of his amazing career. Harrison was Theatre Director from 1962-1979 and during his tenure he and Helen Kelly advanced the theater into a program that has produced students that went on to perform on Broadway, TV and film. They also found success as artistic and general managers of regional theaters, leaders in academic theater and more.
Harrison’s performance career ran the gamut from New York venues, including The American Globe in such classics as “Hamlet,” “Much Ado About Nothing” and “The Three Sisters,” to regional stages, including The Barter Theatre, The White Barn Theatre and The Ice House Theatre, to name but a few. His film and television credits include “Riffed” for Caravan Films and a stint on “The Sopranos.”
The impact he had on others is astounding. He was a mentor extraordinaire to many, many alumni. Some kept in contact with him over the years for continued guidance and friendship. Now the WLU Foundation seeks to extend his impact into the future by establishing the Stanley Harrison Theatre Scholarship.
In order to endow the scholarship, we must raise $25,000. We hope to do so by June 30, 2022. Please make a gift today by clicking the secure link here or by calling 304-336-5635. Thank you.
Thank you,
