Fredric March Theatre Naming

Fredric March

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 March was born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel on August 13, 1897 in Racine. He graduated from Racine High School and attended UW Madison briefly before leaving to serve as a second lieutenant in World War I. After the war he returned to UW Madison, where he was active in football, track, the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, Beta Gamma Sigma business society and dramatic productions. He was also class president. He graduated in 1920 with honors and a degree in economics.

A bank teller job in Racine soon led him to an international finance program in New York, where he decided to pursue a theater career. He spent the next four years working backstage and acting in stock company and Broadway productions. He took the stage name Fredric March in 1924. March met actress Florence Eldridge at the Elitch Gardens Theater in Denver in 1926, and the two married in 1927. Later on the couple adopted two children.

In 1928 March landed a contract with Paramount Pictures. He went on to act in more than 70 films, including "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," "A Star is Born," "Death of a Salesman" and "The Best Years of Our Lives." He remained faithful to Broadway and co-starred in a number of productions with Eldridge. He won two Academy Awards and two Tony Awards.

March died of prostate cancer in Los Angeles in 1975 at the age of 77.

Namesake

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As the theater building was under construction in the early 1970s, five Wisconsin State University-Oshkosh theater faculty members were asked to come up with a list of potential names for the new theater. They wanted to name the building after an accomplished theater professional who had ties to Wisconsin. Their first choices were Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, a famous husband-and-wife acting duo who lived in the Milwaukee and Waukesha areas. UW Madison was (incorrectly) rumored to be naming a theater after the same couple, so WSU-O passed on Lunt and Fontanne. The faculty also considered naming the theater after film actor Spencer Tracy, who was born in Milwaukee and attended Ripon College. They ultimately decided upon March, who had ties to Racine and UW Madison.

The speech department, which back then handled theater courses, unanimously voted in favor of pursuing the name Fredric March Theatre in summer 1971. Chancellor Roger Guiles wrote March a letter dated August 6 asking March for permission, and March accepted. The WSU Board of Regents approved the name on September 17. As it turned out, UW Madison ended up naming its theater the Fredric March Play Circle Theater.

In a handwritten letter accepting Guiles's invitation to the theater grand opening, March wrote, "The honor is great--much more than I deserve. And the theatre is beautiful. ... My heartfelt thanks and all good wishes."

March Visits UW Oshkosh

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WSU-O's Centennial Committee and the speech department held the Fredric March Theatre grand opening that was attended by March and his wife Eldridge on October 14, 1971. The couple arrived to Oshkosh on October 13, and during the time leading up to the grand opening they dined with WSU-O administrators, participated in a press conference at the Pioneer Inn and held a seminar with speech students.

On the night of the 14th, students staged a production of "The Visit" by Friedrich Duerrenmatt that was followed by an honorary reception for March and Eldridge. There March was presented a bronze plaque of the WSU Board of Regents' resolution to name the theater after him. WSU theater coordinator James Hawes wrote in a letter to biographer Lawrence Quirk dated October 25 that he could see tears in March's eyes at the reception. March had also remarked at the October 14 press conference that having a theater named after him was more important than winning Oscars because "many have won Oscars but darn few have had a theater named after them."

Naming the theater after March was not an effort on the speech department's part to get funding from him. After March died of prostate cancer in 1975, he mentioned UW Oshkosh in his will and donated to the university two posters.

Images

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Actor Fredric March and his wife Florence Eldridge, both in the center, arrive to Wisconsin on October 13, 1971 for the Fredric March Theatre dedication the following day.	March, second from left, and Eldridge to his left at the Fredric March Theatre on October 14, 1971.
March, center, is recognized at the Fredric March Theatre dedication.	Chancellor Roger Guiles and March at the Fredric March Theatre dedication.
March, second from right, at the Fredric March Theatre dedication.