In honor of the late Dr. William “Dr. B.” Stuart, room 204 of the Center for Communication Studies and Theatre (CSTAC) will be named the Dr. Bill Stuart Memorial Classroom. A memorial classroom dedication event will take place on Thursday, April 18 at 5 p.m. A reception will be held beforehand at 4:30 p.m.
Dr. Naomi Johnson, chair of the Department of Communication Studies, commended communication studies major and senior Sarah Schmader for her contribution to the classroom dedication. “She met with the administration; she gathered opinions from other students as to what [would be] appropriate in terms of recognizing Dr. Stuart’s contributions,” Johnson said, adding, “I think that it is entirely appropriate that this was a student- initiated effort because that is exactly what Dr. Stuart would have wanted.”
Bryan Rowland, vice president for University Advancement, said that after Schmader approached him about a naming opportunity for Stuart, she received student input and got feedback from faculty, staff and alumni, they “decided that naming a classroom after Dr. Stuart made the most sense.” Allison Dobson, executive secretary for the Department of Communication Studies, agreed and said that Stuart’s legacy is in the classroom.
“That’s where he shined, that’s where he did his life’s work, that’s where he left the most impressions,” Dobson said. “I think that dedicating the classroom and having it named in his honor was the best possible avenue for memorializing him.”
As for the program schedule, Rowland said that Jeff Halliday, assistant professor of Communication Studies, will be the master of ceremonies and closer of the ceremony.
Schmader and Johnson, as well as Interim President Marge Connelly and Dr. Pam Tracy, associate professor of Communication Studies, are among the event’s speakers as well.
Rowland added, “There is a resolution that will go up on the wall. It’s going to be on an easel on Thursday that we will unveil at the end of the program.”
According to Rowland, family and friends of Stuart have also purchased a bench in his honor. Johnson said there will be a plaque to identify the classroom and eventually even some artwork within the classroom.
“I think one of the things many of us were concerned about was that as new generations of students come in, they wouldn’t have known Dr.
Stuart, so they aren’t going to know how important he was here,” Johnson said. “And by doing the naming, we will be able to actually recognize in an ongoing way how important he was to the department and shaping the faculty and students’ lives here, and I think that is something that is really meaningful to me ... to let his work live on in this way.“
“This is something that really initiated because the department felt as a whole we needed to do something for ourselves months after losing him,” Dobson said. “Sarah really took the ball and said not only do we need to this for us, but we need to do something that honors him. It’s a great reflection of what he meant to everybody.”
Johnson remembers Stuart for his wisdom and humor. “He always inspired me and other students and faculty to push themselves through humor or though pushing yourself to think about something in a different way, and I hope we can create a new tradition by keeping his memory alive that when students are getting ready to take an exam or do a big project,” she said.
Johnson hopes students touch the plaque at the entrance to Stuart’s classroom before a big exam or class.
“They could touch it for wisdom and inspiration as they move forward in their classwork,” Johnson said. “I hope that is one way that we will continue his legacy and keep his memory alive.”
