by Holly Frisbee
The records of the Department of Performing Arts have been processed and are ready for research use.
This collection consists of photos and administrative documents from the Department of Performing Arts and its predecessor, the Department of Music, from 1947-1991. The collection contains the photos and records of the Glee Clubs, Varsity Singers and band, including programs, photographs from American and European tours, group photos, and press clippings.
The performing arts at Drexel date back to 1892, but a department wasn’t formalized until 1942. Dr. Wallace Heaton was appointed music director at that time, and over the next thirty-seven years he established the Department of Music and revitalized the choral music clubs. The bulk of the collection comes from Heaton’s years as director, from the 1950’s through the 1970’s. The music department became the Department of Performing Arts when the College of Humanities and Social Sciences was founded in 1984.
[Finding aid to the collection]
Have you ever wondered whom Disque Hall is named after? R. C. Disque (1883-1968) began working at Drexel in 1918. During his long and varied career at Drexel, he was the dean of faculty, head of the electrical engineering department and dean of the School of Engineering. After the resignation of Drexel’s fourth president, George Peters Rea, Disque served as interim president from 1944-1945.
A Drexel alumnus who studied here in the 1950s shared his memories of Dean Disque:
When one entered his office with a request to change something in his curriculum, or drop a course, or – well – anything, Dr. Disque would look down at him from his high-backed chair, with terrible, piercing eyes, and asked what you wanted, you usually quivered and quaked, and tremulously spoke your piece. Fortunately I was able to speak loudly, clearly and made my case in concise words – - and my request was granted. Of course it helped that I was a lot older than most of the students (W W 2, France to Czechoslovakia) and didn’t quake ! !
His name was pronounced DIS-kway, in case you were wondering.
