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Angus Springer Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-0050

Scope and Contents

The majority of this collection consists of materials relating to the many plays and musicals that the Mask & Wig Players performed under the direction of Springer. The materials are mostly confined to photographs, news clippings, and programs. In addition to these, there are some personal papers of Springer's, including correspondence, memos, essays, a list of previous students, and press releases.

Dates

  • Majority of material found within 1943 - 1982

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Southwestern University Distinctive Collections and Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the collections and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from SU Distinctive Collections and Archives before any publication use. Distinctive Collections does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.

Biographical / Historical

Angus Springer was born in Beatrice, Nebraska in 1907. After earning an A.B. degree in drama from the State University of Iowa (1930) and an M.A. from Northwestern University in Drama and Interpretation (1940), he began working at Southwestern University in 1943. He started as an associate professor of Speech and Drama as well as acting head of the department, and by 1948 he was officially made a Professor and Chairman of the Department of Drama and Speech. Among his many students was John Tower, who would later become a Senator for Texas.

In his time at Southwestern, he greatly contributed to the developmet of the university's extracurricular drama group, the Mask & Wig Players. Not only did he direct the plays and musicals, but he also often coached the young actors, designed and constructed scenery, designed costumes, wrote publicly, and managed the house. In 1956 the drama department moved to the Alma Thomas Fine Arts center, in which Springer designed the theater and selected all stage equipment. Immediately before his retirement in 1978, he directed his last play, "Our Town," which he had originally directed in 1949, and was honored with the Texas Educational Theater Association's Founder's Award.

Springer married Frances Elizabeth Wheeler in 1933 and they had two children. One of whom, William (Bill) Springer, would go on to be a prominent member of the Mask & Wig Players during his time at Southwestern.

Some information obtained from: https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fsp19

Extent

1.5 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the SU University Archives Repository

Contact:
1001 E. University Ave.
Georgetown TX 78626 USA
512.863.1221