While known the world over for his numerous award-winning performances, Hanks has had a decades-long history with Dayton area college Wright State University, despite never being a student or faculty member.
Hanks first came to the college in 1978, where he performed in a production of Shakespeare’s “Two Gentlemen of Verona” as a part of the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival.
Soon after, Hanks moved to New York and met W. Stuart McDowell while auditioning for a play. McDowell would later become chair of Wright State University’s theater department and reconnect with Hanks through a mutual colleague.
This led to the creation of the Tom Hanks Scholarship Fund in 2005, which provides funds for students in Wright State’s Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures department.
In 2008, Hanks became a co-chair for the college’s “Rise. Shine. The Campaign,” which raised more than $167 million to fund new facilities and scholarships.
The success of the campaign allowed Wright State to invest nearly $30 million into its Creative Arts Center. As part of this expansion, the school opened the “Tom Hanks Center of Motion Pictures.”
The center’s 2016 opening was attended by Hanks, who gave a speech emphasizing the importance of the arts in education.
In 2020, during the Covid-19 Pandemic, Wright State University’s Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures was forced to host its graduation digitally.
However, Tom Hanks reached out and gave a digital commencement speech to the graduates, commending them for their hard work during the difficult time.
“The future is always uncertain,” said Hanks. “But we who celebrate what you have done, we who celebrate your achievements, we are certain of one thing on this day— you will not let us down."
Credit: Lisa Powell
Credit: Lisa Powell
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