Television writer, producer and director Dean Hargrove ’60, along with producer Jeff Peters and actor Alan Rachins, was the featured presenter of “Dean Hargrove and Friends,” the second Wichita State University Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series event of the 2016-17 season.
After social time and dinner the evening of Oct. 4 at the Wichita Country Club, Hargrove, Peters and Rachins introduced a special screening of Hargrove’s short film “Tap Heat.”
visit in October, is featured in a WSUAA
Shocker High Points video series segment.
Videos can be viewed on YouTube, on
TheShockerCrew channel.
The 14-minute award-winning film, which stars Arthur Duncan and Jason Samuels Smith, uses dance as dialogue. The film is a divergence in topic for Hargrove, who is better known as a murder-mystery man.
He began his impressive career in 1962 when he sold his first professional script, a western for “Maverick.” After that, the 22-year-old became a staff writer for the “Bob Newhart Show” and then penned 14 episodes of “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” He went on to serve as executive producer of the CBS series “Diagnosis Murder,” starring Dick Van Dyke.
Hargrove’s other TV credits include “Columbo,” the “Perry Mason” movies, “Matlock” and the “Father Dowling Mysteries.”
Hargrove’s return to campus, which was organized by the WSU College of Fine Arts, also featured classroom discussions with students.
A 1996 WSU President’s Medal recipient, the Iola, Kan., native earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Wichita before heading west for Hollywood. College of Fine Arts Dean Rodney Miller and WSUAA President and CEO Courtney M. Marshall each welcomed Hargrove back to his alma mater.
Marshall, in her introductory remarks at the distinguished speaker event commented: “For two decades and more now, the alumni association has been honored to host the WSU Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series. Respected alumni from varied disciplines speak about their career journeys – and share their experiences as Shockers. Tonight, we’re so excited and proud to add Dean Hargrove to this list!”
Selected List of WSU Distinguished Alumni Speakers
Hundreds of Shocker achievers have been featured. Here are just a few:
From the 1998-1999 series:
Stan Brannan ’72, entrepreneur, founder of Brite Voice Systems
From the 1999-2000 series:
Vincent Gott ’51, cardiac surgeon who was on the team that developed the first pacemaker
From the 2001-2002 series:
Lee Pelton ’74, Willamette University president
From the 2003-2004 series:
Joyce DiDonato ’92, celebrated opera performer
From the 2006-2007 series:
Jill Cobb ’77, forensic pathologist
From the 2007-2008 series:
Paul Humann ’61/61, undersea photographer, marine biologist, environmentalist
From the 2008-2009 series:
Gary Bender ’62, veteran sportscaster
From the 2009-2010 series:
Mark Parkinson ’80, Kansas governor
From the 2010-2011 series:
Linwood Sexton ’48, noted Shocker athlete, civil rights advocate
From the 2014-15 series:
Glenn Zweygardt ’67, sculptor, art educator
