USITT President Kasey Allee-Foreman has announced that a legacy gift from the Estate of James R. “Randy” Earle, Jr., is the largest single donation ever received by the Institute. 

“Randy was a passionate champion of USITT and of finding ways for Members to interact with one another. His donation will help the Institute continue to make a positive impact on our Members and the industry for years to come,” said Allee-Foreman.

Earle was committed to the Institute from the time he joined USITT as a Student Member in 1965 and he remained an active Member until his death in March 2024.

He enjoyed a four-decade career as an educator, predominantly as a professor of theatre design and technology at San Jose State University, where he served at various times as head of the theatre program, technical director, lighting designer, sound designer and scenic designer. He was also a theatre consultant and a partner in Pantechnicon LLC.

He took on a number of substantive volunteer roles throughout his years of involvement with USITT including Commissioner for Performing Arts Training and Education, Vice President for Commissions and Projects, Vice President of Relations, and serving as President from 1984 to 1986.

He was elected as a USITT Fellow in 1982 and served as Chair of that group from 1998 to 2024. He received the Joel E. Rubin Founder’s Award and was made an Honorary Lifetime Member, two of the Institute’s most prestigious honors.

“In the annals of USITT, Randy Earle’s lifelong dedication to the Institute is unmatched,” said Executive Director Laura Lee Everett. “His active participation in USITT spans almost our entire history and, thanks to his incredible generosity, he has made certain that his beloved USITT is well-poised to meet the challenges of the next decades.”

President Allee-Foreman concurs. “I am so grateful and honored by Randy’s years of service; his years of Membership; and years of commitment to the organization that changed his life and career. This gift assures that we can continue to impact all of our future Members.”

Earle was a founding member of USITT’s Loft Block Society, the recognized group of individuals who have made planned gifts of financial support to assure the impact of USITT. After Earle died, the Institute was notified that USITT was a named beneficiary of a life insurance policy that has resulted in the largest single donation in the Institute’s 65-year history.

“Randy Earle was a force of nature within USITT,” said Institute Fellow and former President Mark Shanda, the current chair of the development committee. “As the first Student Member to rise to the presidency of our organization, Randy was passionate about the industry, sharing his time with both lifelong and brand-new Members of the organization, and was committed to seeing this unique assembly of designers, technicians, architects, educators, and students prosper and grow.

“We were blessed by his engaged presence and are now most thankful for his legacy, which will enrich USITT for many years to come.”

The Institute plans to honor the life and USITT service of Randy Earle and others at USITT25 in Columbus on March 5-8, 2025.

If you would like to make a donation honoring Randy Earle, please use the link below!