Dates

• Existence: 1885 - 1971

Biographical History

T. Earl Pardoe (1885-1969) was a drama professor in Utah. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

T. Earl Pardoe was born in Ogden, Utah on February 24, 1885 to Tom and Leonora Pardoe. His family were immigrants from Stratford-On-Avon, England. His father sent the young Earl to work as a delivery boy where he worked for and gained a life-long advisor and confident in Thomas E. Evans. He attend the old Washington School on Grant Avenue. At age fourteen he got a summer job working in Idaho with the Utah Construction Company. In high school he staged programs and plays and worked nights at the D&RG Railroad, where he was known as "The Kid" because of his size. He excelled in his studies, especially Latin and mathematics.

With the assistance of his grandfather Farr, he entered the Stanford University Engineering School with a scholarship and accomodations at Leland Stanford's home. Here he worked teaching gymnastics, wrestling, and as a math tutor. Upon his return to Ogden he began to work for Fred J. Kiesel who owned a wholesale grocery store. Earl now knew that he wanted to study drama, not engineering, and during this time staged the community operetta "Ermine" with Moroni Olsen. He worked nights with the Ogden Opera Company under Jim Cruz and Melford, who later founded the first motion picture studio, "Goldwyn". They offered him a chance to accompany them to Hollywood, but he turned it down and went to school in Boston.

He entered the Leland Powers School of the Drama where he learned under the tutelage of Powers himself. During this time, Earl did missionary work with his uncle, Ben E. Rich, president of the New England Mission. Earl tried out for the chorus in the Boston Grand Opera and won a place where he met Enrico Carusa, Chalipin, Tettrazini, Melba, and many others. He also worked as a reporter for the Deseret News' "Utahns in Boston" column. When he graduated, Earl was student body and class presidents. In spite of promising chances, after graduation, he returned to Ogden to bring his ailing uncle home. He graduated from BYU with an A.B. degree in 1922, from Columbia with a M. A. degree in "Elizathian Drama" in 1924, from U. S. C. with a M. A. in "Psychology of Speech to Emotion" in 1932, and from Louisiana State University with a Ph. D degree in Negro Dialects in 1937.

In the fall is 1913 in Ogden, Earl met his wife Kathryn Bassett. He set up a studio and Kathryn became his first student. On their third date he proposed, but she declined feeling herself in love with another. After she felt that relationship was over and upon Earl's second proposal she accepted. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 3, 1914, by David O. McKay.

Earl kept a studio and taught at Weber Academy. He participated in many productions and drama clubs. In 1916 he was invited to teach summer school at Brigham Young University, and in 1919 he opened a Department of Speech. He put on many plays at BYU, including "Brown of Harvard," "Strongheart," "Rolling Stone," and "It Pays to Advertise". He also became BYU's first tennis coach, started a Boy Scout organization, and a Rotary Club. In 1927 he moved his family to California to teach at the Major School of Theate. When he found the administration to be unsatisfactory, he started his our studio and wrote "Pantomimes for Stage and Study."

He later returned to BYU at the age of 72. He also served as the vice-president of the National Sons of the American Revolution, Chairman of the National Oratorial Contest, and was nominated "Man of the Year" by the Sons of the Utah Pioneers. He died November 2, 1969.

Citation:

Family History of T. Earl and Kathryn B. Pardoe: p. 1 (T. Earl Pardoe; born in Ogden, February 24, 1885; early life) p. 5a (Graduated from BYU with an A.B. degree in 1922, from Columbia with a M. A. degree in "Elizathian Drama" in 1924, from U. S. C. with a M. A. in "Psychology of Speech to Emotion" in 1932, and from Louisiana State University with a Ph. D degree in Negro Dialects in 1937) p.10 (married in Salt Lake Temple to Kathryn Bassett) p.29 (died November 2, 1969)

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