Dr. Edgar Reynolds

“I was a Ph.D. gypsy and worked on 10 different campuses before I came to Lewis & Clark,” recalls Ed Reynolds, professor emeritus of theatre. “I knew right away: This is where I’ve always wanted to teach. There is an intimacy about the campus, faculty, students, and staff I did not find elsewhere.”

Reynolds helped shape the intimacy from his arrival as department chair in 1980 to his retirement in 1995 and helps shape it still as a beloved mentor who is also active in Portland’s vibrant theatre and performing arts community.

Recognizing a great need for financial aid, Reynolds started a scholarship fund for theatre students as soon as he arrived. When Associate Professor Leon Pike retired in 1987, the scholarship was named to recognize his extraordinary contributions. “Leon was a devoted teacher and technical director when the theatre was in a Quonset hut in the parking lot,” Ed says. “He called his students the most delightful people in the world.” Now honoring both men, the fund is known as the Leon Pike/Edgar Reynolds Scholarship.

Through a bequest, Reynolds is ensuring that scholarships will benefit students long into the future. His reasons are both simple and intimate. His eyes mist as he says, “I want my students to know I’m grateful for what you have given me.”