Dr. Harold Calvin Tedford

1933 - 2021

Tedford, Harold Calvin

September 7, 1933 - October 20, 2021

When he was born in tiny Clarksville, Arkansas in 1933 to Leroy and Leila Tedford, a preacher and a teacher, they could never have imagined where his amazing life would lead him. Harold Tedford was full of imagination even as a child. He started creating theatre in any space available to him and got others to join in – spoiler alert– this was just the beginning. He met his wife, Josie Burroughs, doing theatre at Ouachita Baptist College in Arkadelphia, AK. Although they did not date until the very end of their college career, they married soon after and she followed him to Germany, where he was stationed in the army, and their love of travel was kindled as they explored Europe during the next 2 years. After the army he got his Master's from the University of Arkansas and his Ph.D. from LSU, and then secured his first theatre teaching job at Southwest Texas State in San Marcos, TX, where he worked from 1960 to 1965. While in San Marcos, he and Josie had 2 daughters, Vivian and Beth. In 1964 he met Franklin Shirley (former Winston-Salem mayor, and professor of Speech at Wake Forest) at a theatre conference as they were both walking out of a boring conference presentation together. He was soon offered a job at Wake Forest and the family moved to Winston-Salem, NC in 1965. They welcomed a third daughter, Rosalind, in 1968. During his tenure at Wake Forest, Harold taught, mentored, inspired, amused (mostly with puns), and uplifted innumerable students and faculty. He directed over 40 plays, he taught at Wake's Worrell House twice, he took hundreds of students and community members on trips to New York and London to immerse themselves in theatre, and he helped design and fulfill his dream of a new Fine Arts Center on the campus in 1976. He took his family on many adventures, including driving across the UK and Europe. Venice was one of his favorite cities, and after retiring in 1998, he rented out Wake's Casa Artom on the Grand Canal and invited many of his former students and friends, and they and his family had an amazing week they will never forget. In 2016, the Main Stage at Wake Forest Scales Fine Arts Center was renamed the Harold Tedford Main Stage in his honor thanks to the generosity of so many who knew and loved him. It was the high point of his amazing life. He is survived by his wife; 3 daughters; his son-in-law, Patrick Morton; 2 grandchildren who brought so much joy to his life; and a legendary collection of Venus de Milo statues and Mona Lisa postcards. He was a man who loved gardening, so send no flowers, but maybe plant something so that when it grows, you will think of him. Or just tell someone a pun. Donations would be welcome in his name to the Wake Forest Theatre Fund (https://forms.secure.wfu.edu/giving?designation=other&comment=Friends%20Sponsors%20Patrons%20Theatre%20Fund) or to a local community theatre of your choice, so that artists everywhere have a chance to continue doing what they love best.

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2951 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106