Broadcaster Press 03 February 10, 2015 www.broadcasteronline.com OF VERMILLION The Impact of Wayne S. Knutson By Sarah Wetzel For the Plain Talk Many know him personally, to others he is simply the name on a plaque outside the theater in the Fine Arts building on USD campus. Wayne S. Knutson, former dean of the College of Fine Arts among other titles, has certainly made an impact on the town he still calls home. "He is threaded throughout the history of the university over many decades," said Larry Schou, current dean of the college. "I've known him for years. I've been in the college 27 years so Wayne's been around longer than me." Even after Knutson retired, he still remained an honorary part of the Fine Arts department. "He'd stop in and we'd have chats dean to dean over the years," Schou said. "He'd walk the hallways meeting students and faculty." Though native to South Dakota, Knutson first came to Vermillion for a graduate degree in 1950. He was invited in 1952 to be a member of the faculty by Warren M. Lee, the namesake of the current Fine Arts building. "I think I was the youngest one on the faculty," Knutson remembered. "At least they treated me that way." Knutson became a part of the College of Fine Arts at a point where it was just getting off the ground. "We didn't start with very much," he said. "It started in the 30's but it was very poor. In '52 there were about 13 faculty. There was the dean, one in theater, one in art and the rest in music." The college started out in the basement of Slagle Hall. "Then we discovered an old Episcopal church that was not being used," Knutson said. "We poured tar on the roof so it didn't leak and we had theater there for about two years. We did ‘Uncle Vanya’ there by Chekhov but we had no money so I had a student get all the black cloth they could downtown and I had an art student with yellow chalk draw in a set. Visitors said that was a brilliant thing." According to Knutson, the theater department also spent a few years in Old Main before the new Fine Arts building was built. After 10 years of directing theater, Knutson switched hats to become the Chairman of the English Department. (Knutson had taken a few years and received his PhD in Theater and English at the University of Denver.) "They'd had three chairmen in five years and they thought I was a good stable old boy so I took five years as chairman of English," Knutson said. After those five years Knutson was asked to be the Dean and Professor of Fine Arts in 1972, two years before the new Fine Arts Center was completed. "It amazed us," Knutson said. "We were pioneers because to go from one faculty person and an old church to Old Main then suddenly to have this building seemed remarkable." According to Schou, Knutson made valuable contributions to the community during his time as Dean. "His impact is years of work to bring the arts to the South Dakota community," Schou said. "While he was dean, he told me at one point, they would shut down the college and take everyone in semis and take their shows out to high schools and communities in the SD area just to get the College of Fine Arts, Music and Theater out to the communities." Knutson would change his tune again in 1980 and become Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Fine Arts for the university, a job Knutson did not enjoy as much. "I liked being a dean because you could represent a group of people that had a common bond," he said. "I liked to be chairman of English. But a vice president has all the responsibility but no authority really. I said it felt like I was a piece of meat in a sandwich. You got bit from the top and the bottom." Mark’s Machinery, Inc. Your Family Owned & Family Operated Since 1972 Two Locations To Serve You: 3211 E. Hwy 50 Yankton, SD 605-665-4540 Toll Free: 1-800-526-8095 Knutson returned to be a Professor of English and Theater in 1982 and stayed there until his retirement. Knutson made other contributions not only to the Vermillion community but the whole state of South Dakota by serving on boards such as the South Dakota Arts Council and the South Dakota Humanities Council. In 1987, the South Dakota Board of Regents appointed Dr. Knutson the first university Distinguished Professor. "I'm proud of that because I was the first one so designated in the whole system," Knutson said. "What they meant was the professorship wasn't quite far enough for some people, they needed to be more honored." According to Knutson, this is not an honor frequently bestowed. So far at USD it has only been awarded twice. But Knutson was to be honored even farther for his services to the university and the community. "In our building for longserving teachers and deans and administrators, sometimes the faculty will vote that they want to name something in honor of somebody," Schou said. In this particular case, this something was the building's main theater. "...Whereas Wayne has inspired, mentored, and stood as an example to South Dakotans for half a century through his sterling gifts as teacher, artist, consultant, wise counselor and friend: Now, therefore, I, William J. Janklow, Governor of the State of South Dakota do hereby proclaim Dec. 11, 1999, as Wayne S. Knutson Day in South Dakota and I join his many friends across the state in celebrating the naming of the main stage theater in the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts at the University of South Dakota as the Wayne s. Knutson Theater," reads the executive proclamation from the office of the governor. According to a plaque outside the theater, it was renamed as part of the 25th anniversary of the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts. "I was very humbled," Knutson said. "I don't know who had that screwy idea but apparently somebody did. I was very delighted because of all the things I've done; the dearest thing to me was directing a play. I suppose they thought of me because I was 'that pioneer'. Now when I go to the potlucks the chairman will introduce me and say here's where it all started." The honor made a big impact on both Knutson and future theater students. "It has brought me to the theater and a lot of the youngsters know me because they see the name and then they find out that old guy is still living," Knutson said. "I have a fun time going there and relating to kids when a lot of people from other departments can't do that. I start talking to someone and pretty soon there are three or four theater students around asking about the old days." To read more about Wayne S. Knutson look in the Plain Talk or go online to www.plaintalk.net. 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