Penn State Thespian Society records

The Penn State Thespians was founded in 1898 by Professors Fred Lewis Pattee and John H. Leete, although in a program for The Fair Co-Ed, done in 1921, Pattee gives Leete the credit for providing the spirit of the organization and states that it was Leete who gave the club its name.

The governing body of the Thespians has changed named many times throughout the history of the club, but today is called the Board of Control. The Board of Control has typically consisted of a handful of faculty members and the officers of the student organization. Some of the more prominent members of the Board of Control have been A. Howry Espenshade (Professor, English Composition), John Henry Frizzell (Professor, Public Speaking), Hummel Fishburn (Professor, Music and Music Education), J. Ewing Kennedy (Supervisor, Management Training, Central Extension), Ridge Riley (Executive Secretary, Alumni Association), and Ray T. Fortunato (Director, Employee Relations). The Board's function has always been to act as a guide to the Thespians, but control over individual productions has always been left to the students.

In 1898, when the Thespians performed in their first production (The Rivals), there were only three women at the College, and none of them were interested in theatre. So began a tradition; women did not perform in any Thespian show until World War I, when a shortage of men forced the club to cast women in It Pays to Advertise (1919). Women have been in every show since then, but were not allowed to be members of the club until 1953.

In 1972 Penn State Thespians established their Distinguished Alumni Awards. The awards had two categories: Distinguished Service to the Thespians, and Distinguished Contributions to the Performing Arts. The first awards for Distinguished Service of Thespians were given in 1973 to Hummel Fishburn, J. Henry Frizzell, Ray T. Fortunato, and J. Ewing (Sock) Kennedy, among others. At the same time, the Thespians honored former members Gene Kelly, Julius Epstein, Edward Binns, and Donald Taylor for their contributions to the performing arts.

The club has existed from the beginning as a student-run (although closely advised) organization devoted to the performing arts, producing quality performances every year by its member students. It continues today as one of the oldest student organizations on campus., now in its 93rd year. In 2019 the group changed its name from the Penn State Thespians to the Penn State Thespian Society.