Helen P. Alkire Scholarship Fund

The Helen P. Alkire Scholarship Fund (600066)

This scholarship fund is always growing its endowment, providing more students with more meaningful support every year. Please consider making a gift.  Click on the fund number above to enter the University's secure online giving website.

Helen P. Alkire

Helen Alkire's 100th Birthday

Helen P. Alkire began the dance program at Ohio State over forty years ago and remained chairperson until 1983.

She celebrated her 100th birthday on May 30th, 2015.

Helen passed away on November 14th, 2015 in her home on the Alkire farm in Orient, Ohio.

Her many honors and accolades include participating in planning the first American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA) National Festival at the Kennedy Center, serving on the National Educational Testing Service panel for Scholars in the Arts, serving as the Vice President of the ACDFA (1980) and Treasurer of Council of Dance Administrators (CODA) (1979-80), receiving the Plaudit Award from the NDA (1980), and the Educator's Award from the Greater Columbus Arts Council and the Association of Ohio Dance Companies. She was one of the founding members of the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), and an original member of the NASD Commission on Accreditation.

Early in her career, Alkire studied with Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Louis Horst, Hanya Holm, Berta Ochsner,José Limón, Merce Cunningham, and others. She studied formally at the University of Wisconsin, The Ohio State University (BS in Ed, MA), and pursued doctoral studies at Columbia Teachers College.

Alkire's directing and choreographing credits include the University Dance Group, including national and international tours, and the University Musical Productions. She has performed with Hanya Holm's company, the University Dance Group, and others, and has presented solo concert tours.

Her other credits include the production and direction of several dance films. As an administrator, she instituted and developed several degree programs in dance at Ohio State. In June 1990 Alkire was awarded the Honorary Degree, Doctor of Education from OSU. The degree was awarded in recognition of her outstanding achievements and the importance of her contributions to the field of dance in higher education.

Honor Helen

Donations to the Helen P. Alkire Scholarship Fund are most welcome.