Findlay, Ohio, July 3, 2003 — The University of Findlay inducted the first three honorees into its Performing Arts Wall of Fame during the SummerStock 2003 Premiere Reception on July 2.

The UF Performing Arts Wall of Fame honors former students, faculty and community members who have unselfishly given their time and energy to the advancement of the performing arts at The University of Findlay. Inductees were Barbara Hennigs, the late John R. Van Nice and the late Barry Alexander.

Barbara Hennigs studied dance throughout her childhood and began her professional dancing career at the age of 16. During a 10-year period, she worked with the St. Louis Muni-Opera and the Paper Mill Playhouse in Newark, N.J. She also worked on numerous Broadway shows in New York City, as well as with the Radio City Ballet Corps and the national touring company of Guys and Dolls and Can Can. She also performed for the Sid Caesar Show.

Hennigs has lived in Findlay for 35 years, where she taught dance at the YMCA and choreographed numerous musicals for high schools and for The University of Findlay. She also worked with community theatres throughout northwest Ohio.

Through her leadership, Flag City Dance was started, where she taught ballroom dancing. Hennigs opened Etc. Dance Studio 23 years ago, where she teaches jazz, yoga, tap and ballroom dancing.

In addition to teaching through the physical education area at UF, Hennigs also assisted the University when she started the Donald W. Hennigs Memorial Vocal Music Scholarship. The scholarship was established in memory of her late husband, Donald.

Hennigs has two daughters, Erica and Tristen, and two grandchildren.

John R. Van Nice retired from then Findlay College in 1980 after serving 33 years as a professor of general music and director of the college choir. He also served as chairman of the fine arts division and dean of the evening school.

While at Findlay, Van Nice helped attain state certification for the school in music education and membership in the National Schools of Music. He was given the honor of professor emeritus of music and honorary alumnus upon his retirement. He also had taught in public schools in North Dakota and Colorado.

Van Nice was a graduate of the University of Illinois, Carleton College and State University Iowa. He directed choirs for several churches and other organizations in the Findlay area and played tuba for many music groups and sang for a male quartet. He was a member of numerous music educators’ organizations and had served as president of the Ohio Choral Directors Association and editor of the Ohio CDA newsletter. He founded and served as editor for REsound, the Central Division American Choral Directors Association 10-state newspaper. He was publicity chairman of the 1981 ACDA national convention and was appointed national coordinator of ACDA division and state newsletters and newsletter editor in 1984.

Van Nice, who passed away on Nov. 25, 2002, is survived by his daughter, Karen Spurgat of Rawson.

Barry Alexander served as director of theatre and associate professor of speech and theatre at UF from 1976 until his death on Sept. 26, 1994.

In addition to teaching and directing plays throughout the academic year, Alexander produced SummerStock Theatre, presenting a total of five plays in a repertory format during the last two weeks of July each year. During the summer of 1994, he produced his 13th season of SummerStock Theatre since he first introduced the program in 1977.

He also conducted a yearly acting workshop for the International Thespian Society Convention at Ball State University and a yearly workshop for high school students each November at UF.

Prior to coming to Findlay, Alexander taught at St. Mary of the Plains College, Dodge City, Kan.; Fordham University, New York, N.Y.; Upper Iowa College, Fayette, Iowa; and Woodbury College, Los Angeles, Calif.

His acting experience included working with professional summer stock companies, most notably the Gateway Playhouse in Long Island, N.Y., and faculty recitals. He also was active in community theatre, directing and performing in productions at the Fort Findlay Playhouse. He wrote three full-length plays and several one-act plays and contributed material to a textbook on directing, Organizing and Managing the High School Theatre Program.

Alexander was recognized for excellence in teaching and theatre, receiving the Ohioana Citation Award for Distinguished Service to Ohio in the field of theatre from the Ohioana Library Association of Columbus in 1991; the Achievement Award for Member of Faculty, by the AAMF group, an organization of women who recognize outstanding work by UF faculty members, also in 1991; the Outstanding Educator of America Award in 1974 and was nominated for the 1975 Outstanding Kansas College Teacher of Theatre Award. He also was listed in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.

He was a member of the American Theatre Association, the Ohio Theatre Alliance, Ohio Community Theatre Association, the Findlay Area Arts Council and the National Education Association.

A native of Santa Monica, Calif., he graduated with an associate’s degree from Glendale College, Glendale, Calif.; and he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Los Angeles State College, Los Angeles, Calif. He did post graduate work at New York University.