Israel Hicks, who once served as Purchase College's dean of theatre arts and film, died last week of prostate cancer, according to an e-mail sent to the campus community from President Thomas J. Schwarz. He was 66.
Schwarz said that Hicks, who died Saturday, July 3, worked with the college for 16 years from 1985 to 2001. His life and dedication, according to the e-mail, will be celebrated in a memorial tribute to be held in the fall.
"During his tenure at Purchase, Israel Hicks was instrumental in developing the college’s conservatory acting program, solidifying its reputation as one of the preeminent undergraduate training programs in the country," Schwarz said. "His leadership of the conservatory of theatre arts & film was passionate and unwavering, and reflected his life-long dedication to the performing arts."
Hicks spent much of his life working in theatre with experience on Broadway, television, and noteworthy theatres across the country, according to Schwarz's e-mail. He also taught acting and directing at schools such as Carnegie-Mellon University, New York University, City College of New York, Temple University, the Actors Center, and the University of Denver.
At the time of his death, the e-mail said, he was in his ninth year as chair and artistic director of theater arts in the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, and was also founding artistic director of the Ebony Repertory Theatre in Los Angeles.
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