Samuel Rudolph “Rudy” Alexander

Image source: Buccaneer 1953

Samuel Rudolph “Rudy” Alexander graduated from East Carolina Teachers College in 1953 with a joint degree in English and social studies. Active on campus, Alexander was a legislator in the Student Government Association, a member of the Young Republican Club, president of the International Relations Club, a band member, and a participant in the Teacher’s Playhouse. He was also one of twenty-eight students at ECTC included in the 1952-1953 edition of Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. At ECU today, however, Alexander is best known as the namesake for the university’s showcase performing arts series, the S. Rudolph Alexander Performing Arts Series, also known as SRAPAS. During his four decades of service at East Carolina, Alexander’s vision transformed a fragmented arts scene into a unified whole, one with sophistication and momentum, thus defining the campus in a high profile, aesthetic register.

In 1962, Alexander joined the East Carolina faculty as the director of University Unions and assistant dean of Student Affairs. That year, Alexander bundled three student-selected classical offerings into a single subscription package early on known simply as the performing arts series. By the late 1990s, the series had been named in honor of Alexander’s contributions to it and the ongoing vitality of performing arts on campus. From its patchwork beginnings in 1962, the series has brought to campus more than 600 world-class artists and served nearly one million patrons. Today, the SRAPAS traces its beginnings to Alexander’s vision in coordinating extant efforts into a more meaningful whole. The series continues a tradition, consonant with Alexander’s vision, of presenting the best performing arts touring attractions available. Behind the scenes, guest artists often engage in master classes and workshops as well. SRAPAS has completed, as of 2018, fifty-five seasons as a performing arts series.

In the early 1980s, Alexander contributed to another dimension of campus life. He guided the transformation of the sixty-one-year-old Wright Auditorium into what was deemed, at the time, “a first-class concert hall.” During the renovation, the U-shaped balcony was replaced with a new sloping balcony, and the level ground floor, which had previously been used for sports events, dances, and other activities for years, was replaced with a sloped floor from rear to front. Some 1,545 permanent cushion seats replaced the 2,000 wooden, folding chairs which had been used as temporary seating. The new seats and rows were numbered so as to make reserved seating possible. The renovation also sought to provide acoustics “as near-perfect as possible,” along with carpeting, chandeliers, dressing rooms, and a refreshment area. At the time, Alexander noted that ECU’s intent was to “bring in major symphony orchestras, ballet companies and internationally-known artists. The opening season will be one to be remembered.” Alexander’s contributions to the renovation of Wright Auditorium thus meshed perfectly with his promotion of the performing arts on campus. Today, the S. Rudolph Alexander Performing Arts Series remains the premier attraction in Wright Auditorium. SRAPAS equally continues to give the campus a level of cultural and artistic refinement that owes much to Alexander’s dedication to both East Carolina, his alma mater, and the performing arts.

Sources

• “Art Mooney Band to Play at ECC.” Rocky Mount Telegram. July 7, 1953. P. 8.
• Buccaneer, 1953, 1963. Greenville, N.C.: East Carolina Teachers College.
• DiCenzo, Theresa. “SRAPAS begins 55th season: The S. Rudolph Alexander Performing Arts Series at ECU will open its 55th season on Friday, Sept. 22.” ECU News. Sept. 12, 2017.
• S. Rudolph Alexander Performing Arts Series. College of Fine Arts and Communication. https://artscomm.ecu.edu/alexander-series/.
• “Wright Auditorium Changing.” Rocky Mount Telegram. April 21, 1985. P. 8.

​Citation Information