ORANGEBURG, S.C. — South Carolina State University staff and alumni are mourning the loss of Frank M. Mundy Jr., who was previously the school's theatre director.
"Sometimes, death takes a minute to settle in," said Calhoun Cornwell, SC State Alumni. "For me, Mr. Mundy's death wrecked me on sight."
"It really reminded me how much he has done for me at that moment," said Erskine Johnson, SC State Alumni. "That's when I was reminded of being on the fence about choosing SC State if he didn't pursue me."
"He did lots of didn't different things, had lots of interactions," explained Ursula Robinson, current theatre director. "He was always the first African American to the scene in a particular organization or in a particular way. He is the reason for some of the representation that we have."
During Mundy's 32 years at SC State, he created the Invitational Interscholastic High School Speech and Drama Festival. He also had a hand in creating the standardized test for theatre teachers in the state, according to SC State officials. The current director describes Mundy as a pioneer for the institution during his long tenure.
"Professor Mundy was a mentor," said Robinson. "He's the reason I'm even in this position. He hired me in 1999 because he said he was looking for someone young with no kids so he could turn the theatre over."
Mundy died from a lingering illness on June 16th. The university will conduct a memorial service Tuesday at 10 am at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. His former students thank him for taking them under his wing.
"Thank you for everything because I would not be here if it weren't for you," expressed Cornwell.