The teaching of drama at Iowa State College (University) began in 1902 as part of the Department of Elocution and Oratory. The Department was renamed the Department of Speech Communication in 1982. The Theatre Program continued to be administered by this department until 1992 when it became part of the Department of Music. The first student dramatic production on campus was Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in 1871. There were no formal organizations for the production of plays until 1914, when Fredrica Shattuck formed the Mask Players, the precursor of the Iowa State Players. In 1946, the Laboratory Theater and the Film Theater, a program for the weekly showing of popular films, were established. In the following year, Iowa State Theatre was formed as the administrative unit to govern three groups: Iowa State Players, Laboratory Theater, and Film Theater. This collection contains ISU Theatre Program scrapbooks, which include photographs, newsclippings, ticket stubs, and programs.

The teaching of drama at Iowa State College (University) began in 1902 as part of the Department of Elocution and Oratory. Within a year, the name of the Department was changed to the Department of Public Speaking. In 1940, the Department merged with the Department of English to become the Department of English and Speech. In 1969, English and Speech once again became separate departments. The Department was renamed the Department of Speech Communication in 1982. The Theatre Program continued to be administered by the Department of Speech Communication until 1992 when it became part of the Department of Music.

The first student dramatic production on campus was Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in 1871. There were no formal organizations for the production of plays until 1914, when Fredrica Shattuck formed the Mask Players, the precursor to the Iowa State Players. For several decades, the players provided the only vehicle for dramatic production. In 1946, the Laboratory Theater and the Film Theater, a program for the weekly showing of popular films, were established. In the following year, the Iowa State Theatre was formed as the administrative unit to govern three groups: Iowa State Players, Laboratory Theater, and Film Theater. In 1954, Iowa State Theatre Program created a Children’s Theater subdivision. The Showboat Players, a special group that performed plays during the summer in Clinton, Iowa, aboard the Rhododendron, was formed in 1969. In 1972, the group was moved back to Ames and reorganized as Iowa State Summer Theatre. In 1975, Film Theater was eliminated.

This collection (1922-1978) contains scrapbooks from the ISU Theatre Program. Included are photographs, newsclippings, ticket stubs, and programs.

Related collections in the Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library include:

• Theatre Program Records (RS 13/23/3)
• Fredrica V. Shattuck Papers (RS 13/23/51)
• Kathryn Eames Papers (RS 13/23/52)
• Buildings and Grounds Records (RS 4/8/4) - see Center, ISU - Fisher Theater; Shattuck Theater; and Theater - Workshop

This collection is listed chronologically.