Ruth Denney

Legendary Texas theatre educator, Ruth Denney, died Monday at Hospice Austin’s Christopher House of complications from a hip fracture suffered in early March. She was 93. Denney founded one of the first public high schools devoted to the arts in the United States. As a University of Texas professor, she educated an entire generation of theatre educators. And as a high school drama teacher, she inspired countless numbers of young students, including nine-time Tony Award-winner Tommy Tune, Tommy Sands, Robert Crutchfield, Robert Foxworth, Carlin Glynn-Masterson, Paula Prentiss and Jaclyn Smith. Born April 4, 1914 in Ohio, Denney was educated at Ohio Wesleyan University. After teaching for several years in Ohio, she moved to Houston. Denney began her career in the 1950s in Houston, where she taught at Lamar High School. While she was there, her students won six state championships in the University Interscholastic League’s one-act play contest. After more than a dozen years in the classroom, Denney took an administrative job with the Houston Independent School District, and then in 1971 she founded and became the first principal of Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, only the third fine arts magnet school in the nation. In 1976, Denney became a professor of drama education at UT, where she taught until 1988. At retirement, she was named professor emeritus, and many of her former students and colleagues helped establish a scholarship in her honor: the Ruth Denney endowed Presidential Scholarship in Theatre. In 2000, UT awarded her the Doty Award for her contribution to the arts. After her retirement, Denney was key in lobbying Austin school district officials to establish the Fine Arts Academy at McCallum High School. Denney’s contribution to the arts has been honored many times by organization including Theatre Under the Stars and the Texas Educational Theatre Association as well as national theatre education groups. In 1987 she received the Houston Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts. In 2002 she was inducted into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame. She is survived by her long-time companion, Jean Nipper, and four nieces, Diane Wolfe, Sidney Wolfe Taylor, Winnie Wolfe Gerhardt, and Jenny Wolfe Rollins. Her indomitable spirit lives on in countless individuals who were inspired and shaped by her unwavering belief in them -- as well as her wit, good humor and passion for life. Most still lovingly refer to her as Ms. Denney. Near the end of Ms. Denney’s favorite play, the young protagonist, Katrin, writes a passage in her journal ending with the phrase, “First and foremost, I remember Mama.” Today, for many former students, colleagues and friends, the play has a new ending: “First and foremost, we remember Ms. Denney.” You are encouraged to share a favorite memory of Ms. Denney in the online guestbook at www.wcfish.com. A memorial services will be held on Sunday, May 27th at 2:00 p.m. at the Payne Theater in the Winship Bldg. on the University of Texas campus.