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| This June, Walter Myers, College of Fine Arts dean, retires after 39 years with WSU, 24 of them as a faculty member and 15 as an adminstrator. One of the first things he and his wife, Kaye, plan on doing after his retirement is visiting his sister in South Africa. |
The love of artistry and creativity that went into the construction of Jardine Hall, one of Wichita State’s oldest buildings, is evident upon opening its doors. It’s a fitting place to find the office of Walter J. Myers, dean of the College of Fine Arts. Certainly, there are the myriad files of an administrator, but his office is also carefully decorated with framed posters announcing past community and university productions, and pottery adorns various shelves and tables so that even the casual passerby might stop, if only for a moment, to admire the surroundings.
Myers, a former trumpet player and music professor, knows that art can have the power to reach out to the unsuspecting as well as the connoisseur. When it comes to the arts — in all their mediums — Myers recognizes timeless value.
The same can be said for his feelings about Wichita State and education. “Any of us in education have to love what we do,” he says. “Either you love it or you don’t stay in it. Historically,” he says with a laugh, “the salaries aren’t that exciting. But after arriving at wsu, it was the excellence of the school of music that exceeded my expectations. It was exciting to work alongside outstanding teachers and musicians.”
This June, Myers retires after 39 years with Wichita State, 24 of them as a faculty member and 15 as an administrator. Initially, however, it didn’t look as though this was going to be the case. He and his wife, Kaye, were living in New York when he decided to accept a job offer from Wichita State. “We had both been very happy in New York,” he explains. “We had decided to come out to Wichita for two years. En route — and this is in October of ’63 — I decided to point out to her the beautiful dark brown haze of the Flint Hills.” He pauses. “She burst into tears.” But the two years turned into five, and while Myers admits his wife still hadn’t unpacked all the boxes, she had begun to settle into life in the Midwest. She later retired as an administrator at Wichita Collegiate School and has become an ambassador for Wichita and Wichita State.
“One of the reasons why I took the job is one of the reasons why we stayed,” he says. “First, there was the opportunity for me to perform at a professional level with the Wichita Symphony. Then there was the stability of teaching at a university. Soon after we arrived in Wichita, the university became a state university.” Myers smiles. “Everyone was kind, excited and positive about the future.
“The love affair began.”
Human Capital
At the recent Arts and Humanities Council 32nd Annual Art Awards, Myers stated, “There is no doubt that education is a vital investment in ‘human capital’ for the 21st century. If we are to prepare young people for success in this new millennium, we will have to do more than improve literacy and numeracy skills. We need a broad, flexible and motivating education that recognizes the different talents of all young people and delivers excellence for everyone.”
What Myers calls “human capital” is reflective of the “multiple intelligences theory” of Harvard University’s Harold Gardner, who in 1983 published Frames of Mind. Gardner argues that intelligence exists on many levels and that the Mozarts, T.S. Eliots, Sarah Bernhardts and Babe Ruths are as important as the Einsteins, Pavlovs and Madam Curies. This multiplicity of talents underscores the importance of what Myers has spent his career emphasizing: the value of the arts and a liberal arts education.
When Myers speaks of the arts, he takes a collective approach. The creative level of artistry may begin individually and internally but in the end reaches outward — to the teacher, the audience, the community and to the world. This process helps explain why Myers is proud of the strides wsu’s College of Fine Arts has made internally as well as externally. “The students and staff have made significant progress in connecting with the community,” he says. “We interact with 26 arts organizations, and we’ve become a major resource for the fine arts in this region. We also make a significant economic impact on Wichita and its environs.” He smiles. “I’m proud of these connections — and it’s a job in progress. It supports the mission of the university and the importance of creative and cultural education.”
Cutting Edge
Myers has much to be proud of even though he tends to downplay his role in the many accomplishments of the College of Fine Arts. “Thirty-nine years is a significant amount of time to do severe damage” — he smiles mischievously — “or claim some success or positive differences.”
The evidence suggests the latter. Faculty salaries have gradually improved; funding has increased from $2,500 to $30,000 in grantsmanship; endowed scholarships have grown by 111 percent; the fine arts subscription series has grown by 33 percent; and student credit hours have increased by 25 percent. The college boasts not only increased audience development to 30,000 annually but also a new decorative and ornamental painting certificate program and a new Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater.
Says Bela Kiralyfalvi, chair of the School of Performing Arts, who has known Myers for many years, “I think one of his best accomplishments is the musical theater degree, which has been in place for about four years. He worked very hard for that, and as he’s leaving, the program is definitely showing signs of success.” Success such as that pleases Myers, but he’s not willing to claim the job is done and head off into the Kansas sunset just yet. He intends to dedicate his energies as an arts educator and advocate to Wichita and the surrounding region. “The arts — certainly at WSU, and I do speak of all of them, including those not directly connected with the School of Fine Arts — have always been on the cutting edge.”
Curtain Call
Walt Myers’ retirement plans include travel — first and foremost to South Africa, where his sister has resided for 45 years. “That is number one on our agenda,” he says. “Until now, I haven’t had time to visit her.” Afterward, he and Kaye plan to do some traveling throughout the United States. Still, Myers will continue to be a strong presence at the university and in the wider community.
“Someone once said that to be a success, a person must have planted a tree, fathered a child and have done something worthwhile by which to be remembered,” Myers said in a recent speech. “I have planted trees, fathered two beautiful daughters — with the cooperation of my wife — and if I haven’t done something worth remembering, I had better knuckle down, as time is passing.”
But no knuckling is necessary. For Walter Myers, it’s been time well spent.
— Kerry Jones ’00
