McCool Named Recipient of 49th David L. Underwood Memorial Lecture Award

St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley has named Marie L. McCool, MFA, theatre manager, recipient of the 49th David L. Underwood Memorial Lecture Award.

She will present the commemorative lecture in fall 2024.

The late David L. Underwood was known for his love of education. He was deeply concerned with the welfare of students and staff alike. His dedication went beyond office hours – and he tirelessly gave of his time and talents to further the educational mission at Florissant Valley.

Recipients of the Underwood Memorial Lecture Award demonstrate that same dedication and commitment. Chosen by a committee of peers, the recipient exhibits excellence in instruction and a genuine, humanistic concern for students, faculty, staff, and all of education.

Elizabeth Gassel Perkins, EdD, campus president and chief academic officer of St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley is pleased this tradition of honoring outstanding employees is continuing.

“There are some individuals in this world that you just know you can count on for excellence at every turn. One of those individuals is Marie McCool. In addition to being exceptional at her job as manager of the Terry M. Fisher Theatre, Marie is a phenomenal people leader, teacher, mentor, employee, and colleague,” Gassel Perkins said.

“Marie supports our students, our faculty/staff, and our community and goes above and beyond to ensure that every experience she provides - whether it be in theatre, in the classroom or in her many volunteer roles on campus - is done with the highest caliber of quality and care. Marie truly embodies the Underwood spirit, and I am delighted she has been selected as our recipient this year.”

Over the past 32 years, McCool has designed, built, painted, lit, costumed, and produced over 300 theatrical productions in the Terry M. Fischer Theatre. Twenty-five of the productions involved the Florissant Valley Theatre of the Deaf. In total, thousands of students were involved in over 1,500 theatrical performances that she managed.

Her work on “Into the Woods” in 1995 ranked No. 2 in the St. Louis Riverfront Times’ poll for Best Local Theatre Production, just behind The Muny’s production of “West Side Story.”

Besides her role as theatre manager, McCool is a set designer and adjunct professor in deaf communication studies at the College.

She became emotional as she accepted the award.

“To say that I am overwhelmed and unbelievably honored is an understatement. It is also pretty cool to say I’ll be forever 49,” McCool said. “To be part of this long tradition is phenomenal.”

McCool’s name will be display on a plaque with fellow recipients of the David L. Underwood Memorial Lecture Award.

Photo Index: From left to right, Elizabeth Gassel Perkins, EdD, campus president, is joined with Marie McCool, theatre manager and the 49th David L. Underwood Memorial Lecture Award recipient, in the black shirt, past Underwood award recipients, and McCool’s husband Vic, second row.