Honoring Those Who Nurtured Howard Players Contribution to Black Theatre

Faculty members Department of Theatre Arts, early 1980'sPhoto credit unknown
Faculty members Department of Theatre Arts, 2007Photo credit unknown
Faculty members Department of Drama, mid 1970's. Photo credit Ralph Remington

Drama/Theatre formally becomes a department in Septembere 1950 under Anne Cooke. 

Prior to September 1950 Drama is housed in the Department of English and produced under the moniker of The Howard Players.

Faculty Members 1950 - 2019

Key:         A = alumni of the Howard University Department of Drama/Theatre Arts.          H = Howard University alumni.

Department Chair/Head 1950 - 2019

8 Different Drama/Theatre Identities on Howard's Campus (1909 – 2019)

Howard Players Faculty Leadership 1909-1950


Drama/Theatre formally becomes a department in 1950 under Anne Cooke. 

Prior to September 1950 Drama is housed in the Department of English 

and produced under the moniker of The Howard Players


Ernest Everett Just - 1909 (College Dramatic Club)

Thomas Montgomery  1920-1925 (Howard Players begins)

Alain Locke  1919-1925

Marie Moore-Forrest - 1919-1925

Sterling Brown & Leona B. Dudley - 1925-30

George D. Lipscomb - 1931-1932

John Lovell Jr. - 1932-1933

Sterling Brown - 1933-1937

James W. Butcher Jr. - 1938-1942

Ella Haith Weaver - 1942-1944

Elizabeth Walker Reeves - 1944-1945

Elizabeth Walker Reeves, James W. Butcher Jr, Anne M. Cooke - 1944-1945

Anne M. Cooke - 1946-1950 

Faculty and Howard Players, 1950's. Front: Owen Dodson, unknown, 2nd row center: James Butcher (with black hat), Anne Cooke Reid, Mark FaxPhoto credit: Moorland Spingarn Research Center
Please note, that due to lack of annual reports for some years, some adjunct faculty names are yet to be uncovered.