National Collegiate Players

National Collegiate Players, also known as Pi Epsilon Delta (), was an American co-educational honor society for participants in collegiate theatre. It was founded in 1919 at the University of Wisconsin, finally going dormant around 1990.

History

Pi Epsilon Delta was established at University of Wisconsin on June 8, 1919, by students who were interested in theater. The first group contained seventeen men and women, including four faculty members. Its first president was Ray E. Holcolm. Pi Epsilon Delta was established as an honor society to recognize and encourage collegiate theatre. Its activities included supporting dramatic performances, playwriting, and the study of drama and encouraging leadership in these fields.

By 1922, Pi Epsilon Delta had a total of five chapters, including added chapters at Washington University in St. Louis, University of Minnesota, and Northwestern University. In June 1922, Pi Epsilon Delta merged with Associated University Players to form National Collegiate Players. Associated University Players was founded in 1913 at University of Illinois and had chapters at Ohio University, University of Washington, and University of Oregon. All but its chapter at the University of Washington voted to join the merged organization.

The merger was facilitated by two faculty members at the University of Wisconsin, Gertrude Johnson, professor of the speech department and grand chancellor of Pi Epsilon Delta, and Merle R. Raines, an English instructor and grand secretary of the Associated University Players. Pi Epsilon Delta was an honorary society, while the Associated University players were a theatrical production group.

The ideals and scope of the new National Collegiate Players were identical to Pi Epsilon Delta's. However, all chapters were allowed to produce theatrical shows. The merged organization's name was adopted due to resistance to continuing the form of a Greek letter organization, viewed as another secret order.

The first chapter installed after the merger was Iowa State University in April 1923. The society established the Junior Collegiate Players for students at junior colleges at Stephens College in 1949. It also sponsored a Summer European Theatre Workshop for its members every two years starting in 1959.

By 1962, the Players had initiated some 9,000 members. The National Collegiate Players became an honor society when it joined the Association of College Honor Societies in February 1963.

In 1977, the Players had 44 active chapters and 44 inactive chapters. It had initiated 15,000 members. Its headquarters was located at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The National Collegiate Players went dormant around 1990.

Symbols The Pi Epsilon Delta membership emblem was a key that included the comedy and drama masks of ancient Greek theater and the Greek letters . Founding member Frances Allen Tucker designed the key. Its motto was or "Art in Drama".

The National Collegiate Players maintained the key and motto of Pi Epsilon Delta. Its publication was Players, which was first published in 1924.

Membership Students were admitted to the National Collegiate Players based on a point system for achievement in acting, construction, costuming, directing, playwriting, stage design, stagecraft, and the completion of courses in dramatic arts, speech, and literature at an accredited institution. This was a modification of the point system used by Pi Epsilon Delta before the merger of the two organizations.

Only upper-class women and men were eligible for membership which was limited to seven to twelve active members per chapter. Applications for membership were voted on by the local chapter and approved by the national council, thus providing both national and local recognition for members.

The Players also initiated honor members who had made significant contributions to academia or the theater profession.

Chapters Following is a list of the chapters of the National Collegiate Players, with inactive institutions indicated in italics.

NumberCharter date and rangeInstitutionLocationStatus11922–1923; 1925University of IllinoisUrbana, IllinoisInactive21922–1964University of WisconsinMadison, WisconsinInactive31922University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaInactive41922–1930, 1941Ohio UniversityAthens, OhioInactive51922–1932Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IllinoisInactive61922–1958Washington University in St. LouisSt. Louis County, MissouriInactive71922University of OregonEugene, OregonInactive81923DePauw UniversityGreencastle, IndianaInactive9–1934Iowa State UniversityAmes, IowaInactive101923Washington State UniversityPullman, WashingtonInactive111923Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OregonInactive121924University of Nebraska–LincolnLincoln, NebraskaInactive131926University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaInactive1926University of ArizonaTucson, ArizonaInactive1926–1935Butler UniversityIndianapolis, IndianaInactive1926–1950University of DenverDenver, ColoradoInactive1926University of North DakotaGrand Forks, North DakotaInactive1926–1945Adelbert College of Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OhioInactive1927University of KansasLawrence, KansasInactive1927Southwestern UniversityGeorgetown, TexasInactive1927Lawrence UniversityAppleton, WisconsinInactive1927Muskingum UniversityNew Concord, OhioInactive1927–1945Flora Stone Mather College of Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OhioInactive1928–1943, 1950Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, IowaInactive1929Earlham CollegeRichmond, IndianaInactive1929Monmouth UniversityLong Branch, New JerseyInactive – 1941Cornell CollegeMount Vernon, IowaInactive1932–1950University of IowaIowa City, IowaInactive1935Wichita State UniversityWichita, KansasInactive1936–1950Texas Wesleyan CollegeFort Worth, TexasInactive1936–1951Alabama College, State College for WomenMontevallo, AlabamaInactive1937–1951University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AlabamaInactive1938Hamline UniversitySaint Paul, MinnesotaInactive1938–1950Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MichiganInactive1941St. Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MinnesotaInactive1941Tulane UniversityNew Orleans, LouisianaInactive1942St. Catherine UniversitySaint Paul, MinnesotaInactive1943MacMurray CollegeJacksonville, IllinoisInactive1945–1947, 1958George Washington UniversityWashington, D.C.InactiveKansas State UniversityManhattan, KansasInactive1945Louisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge, LouisianaInactive1946Drury UniversitySpringfield, MissouriInactive – 1989University of Wisconsin–Eau ClaireEau Claire, WisconsinInactive1947Beloit CollegeBeloit, WisconsinInactive1947–1957George Pepperdine CollegeLos Angeles County, CaliforniaInactive1947University of Maryland, College ParkCollege Park, MarylandInactive1947University of ArkansasFayetteville, ArkansasInactive1948College of WoosterWooster, OhioInactive1948Southern Illinois University CarbondaleCarbondale, IllinoisInactive1948University of South DakotaVermillion, South DakotaInactive1948Southeast Missouri State UniversityCape Girardeau, MissouriInactive1948University of FloridaGainesville, FloridaInactive1949–1953Florida Southern CollegeLakeland, FloridaInactive1949Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSt. Peter, MinnesotaInactive1949–1952Northern Idaho College of Education Lewiston, IdahoInactive1950Mankato State UniversityMankato, MinnesotaInactive1951Hope CollegeHolland, MichiganInactive1951University of ToledoToledo, OhioInactive1951Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, MinnesotaInactive1951Emporia State UniversityEmporia, KansasInactive1951University of VermontBurlington, VermontInactive1951Capital UniversityBexley, OhioInactive1952Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OhioInactive1952University of MontanaMissoula, MontanaInactive1954University of Wisconsin–MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WisconsinInactive1956Elmira CollegeElmira, New YorkInactive1957Southeastern Louisiana UniversityHammond, LouisianaInactive1958Millikin UniversityDecatur, IllinoisInactive1958Augsburg UniversityMinneapolis, MinnesotaInactive1959St. Cloud State UniversitySt. Cloud, MinnesotaInactive1959Southern Connecticut State UniversityNew Haven, ConnecticutInactive1960Cornell UniversityIthaca, New YorkInactive1961Queens College, City University of New YorkQueens, New YorkInactive1961Ouachita Baptist UniversityArkadelphia, ArkansasInactive1961Arkansas Tech UniversityRussellville, ArkansasInactive1961University of Wisconsin–OshkoshOshkosh, WisconsinInactive1962University of AkronAkron, OhioInactiveWinona State UniversityWinona, MinnesotaInactive1963Arizona State UniversityTempe, ArizonaInactive1963California State University, Long BeachLong Beach, CaliforniaInactive1963University of Missouri–Kansas CityKansas City, MissouriInactive1963Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, North CarolinaInactive1964Western Illinois UniversityMacomb, IllinoisInactive1965Stephens CollegeColumbia, MissouriInactive1966California State University, FresnoFresno, CaliforniaInactive1966East Carolina UniversityGreenville, North CarolinaInactive1966West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, West VirginiaInactive1967California State University, SacramentoSacramento, CaliforniaInactive1969Northern Illinois UniversityDeKalb, IllinoisInactive1974Wartburg CollegeWaverly, IowaInactive

Notable members

Collegiate Mary Wickes (Washington University), actress Anne Simley, academic and founder of the theater department at Hamline University Haila Stoddard (University of Southern California), actress, producer, writer and director Jon Whitmore (Washington State University) chief executive officer of ACT and president of Texas Tech University and San José State University

Honorary

Judith Anderson, stage and film actress Henry Fonda, actor Helen Hayes, actress Cedrick Hardwick, stage and film actor Charles Laughton, actor and director Raymond Massey, actor Agnes Moorhead, actress Tyrone Power, actor Basil Rathbone, actor

Notes

References