Fall 2021 Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts Magazine

Page 54

In Memoriam 54

Leta Powell Drake received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during the university’s undergraduate commencement ceremony on Aug. 14. Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication.

Leta Powell Drake

Leta Powell Drake, 83, died Sept. 15. She was a member of the Fine and Performing Arts Alumni Board. Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Powell Drake received her bachelor’s degree in speech and English from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in theatre arts from UNL. She won the Best Actress award five times at the University of Nebraska Theatre, with the award being renamed the Leta Powell Drake Acting Award. She acted in more than 100 plays and two movies. In her 60-year TV career, she hosted and produced more than 10,000 TV shows, including KOLN-TV’s The Morning Show, among others. She is remembered as “Kalamity Kate” on KOLN-TV’s long-running children’s show Cartoon Corral. She also worked at Nebraska Public Television, serving as assistant network programming director for 13 years. Most recently, Powell Drake received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the

University of Nebraska–Lincoln at the August 2021 commencement. In addition to our Alumni Board, Powell Drake served on the boards of the UNL Alumni Association, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Lincoln Advertising Federation, Lincoln Community Playhouse, YMCA, the Salvation Army, Nebraskans for Public Television, Nebraskans for Public Radio, among others. She also worked extensively with UNL’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Fine Arts in art practice at the University of Iowa with emphases in painting and printmaking. During his career as an artist and art instructor, Routon taught at several institutions, including Michigan State University, State University College at Plattsburgh, University of Minnesota and the University of Nebraska– Lincoln. His served for 23 years at Nebraska, starting on Aug. 23, 1976, and retiring as an emeritus professor in 1999. Routon is well known for his pictorial artworks, including a number of portrait commissions. His works were primarily completed by drawing and painting.

Robert Spence

David Routon

David Routon

David F. Routon, 88, of Lincoln, professor emeritus of art, died Oct. 26, 2020. Routon was born Dec. 6, 1931, in Jackson, Tennessee. He served as a U.S. Marine in the Korean War before going on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art at Mexico City College and a Master of

HIXSON-LIED COLLEGE of FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS | FALL 2021

Dr. James Robert “Bob” Spence, 95, passed away March 31, 2021. He was born on Aug. 20, 1925. He was Professor Emeritus of Art History and a former chair of the School of Art, Art History & Design (1970–1974). Spence began teaching at Nebraska in 1966. He retired in 1998 after a 32-year career. He had previously taught at the University of Pittsburgh and Mount Mercy College in Pittsburgh. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Maryland and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin.

Frank Tirro

Frank Tirro

Frank P. Tirro passed away March 28, 2021, after a long illness. Tirro was the dean of the Yale School of Music from 1980 to 1989 and a former member of the Hixson-Lied Advisory Board. Tirro is remembered for his pathbreaking writings on music, education and racism in America; his landmark contributions to our understanding of the history of jazz; his studies of late medieval and renaissance music; and his considerable administrative accomplishments. Tirro was also an ASCAP award-winning composer and highly respected professional clarinetist and saxophone player. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Tirro received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1960. He earned his M.M. from Northwestern University, and his Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Chicago in 1974. Tirro received the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts Alumni Achievement Award in Music in 2006.


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Articles inside

Endowment celebrates 20th anniversary

1min
pages 71-72

Circle Lists

3min
page 59

Music alumna Taylor named one of Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers for 2021

1min
page 70

Ceramics alumna Willers is NCECA president-elect

2min
page 67

Faculty Notes

10min
pages 63-65

Korff School alum’s music heard on multi-platinum recording artist albums

1min
page 66

College welcomes new faculty

1min
page 62

Laurel Shoemaker focused on students

4min
pages 60-61

Donor List

12min
pages 56-58

In Memoriam

3min
pages 54-55

What if there was a future planet made of JUNK?

7min
pages 42-45

In memory of Jack Rokahr (1922-2021

3min
page 53

ArtsCast Nebraska podcast launches

2min
page 50

Williams takes ‘Stay Wild’ community art project to Alliance

4min
pages 51-52

Carson Center dedication events win CASE Award

1min
page 47

May commencement held in person

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page 46

Garrett’s research helps elevate the work of black choral composers

8min
pages 38-41

Painting strokes build ‘The Human Connection’

1min
page 36

Horn studio hosts Zoom masterclasses

2min
page 28

The American LOVE Project launches

2min
page 37

Student research leads to bike share program graphics

3min
pages 34-35

Making a bloody connection

2min
page 33

Oboe student adapts to online DMA recital

2min
page 29

Looking back and moving forward: Nebraska Rep continues partnership with St. Louis Black Rep

6min
pages 30-32

Carson Center course explores virtual and social worlds

4min
pages 26-27

College announces new music building

2min
pages 4-5

Students take watercolor course during three-week session

2min
page 24

Dean’s Letter

3min
pages 2-3

Theatre student designs mobile app to control lighting

3min
page 25

Meet the faculty

9min
pages 11-15

Meet our students

8min
pages 16-19

Meet our alumni

8min
pages 20-23

Dance program takes its next steps

8min
pages 6-10
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