Tisch School of the Arts.

The Tisch School of the Arts (TSOA) at NYU was founded as a school of performing and media arts in 1965. Alumni include Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, Amy Heckerling, and Ang Lee. The first Dean of the school was Robert W. Corrigan, the second David J. Oppenheim. Theodore Hoffman, who came to NYU in 1965 to help establish the Theatre Program, was also an important figure in the early history of the school.

The Tish School of the Arts, named for benefactor Lawrence Tisch, has had a long and successful history. The documents in this collection describe its founding in 1965 and subsequent development through 1981. The three men most involved in the school's early history and development were Robert W. Corrigan, Theodore Hoffman, and David J. Oppenheim. Because the collection contains a substantial amount of their correspondence, their biographical sketches are included to provide an introductory background.

Robert W. Corrigan was instrumental in the founding of the School of the Arts, making it one of the top fine arts programs in the country. He completed his undergraduate work at Cornell University, received an M.A. (1952) from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. (1955) from the University of Minnesota.

Dean Corrigan spent nearly all of his early career as an instructor of dramatic arts, teaching at numerous universities and colleges such as Johns Hopkins, Carleton, Tulane, and the Carnegie Institute of Technology. He joined the NYU faculty in 1964 as a professor of dramatic literature. The following year he was appointed the first dean of the new School of the Arts. Dr. Corrigan left NYU in 1968 to become the President of the California Institute of Fine Arts.

Theodore Hoffman came to New York University in 1965 to help establish the Theatre Program. A graduate of Columbia University, he was also founder of the Columbia's School of the Arts. Professor Hoffman began his career as an actor and director of Off Broadway theatre. He was also a translator of European drama. In 1958 he was appointed director of the Carnegie Institute of Technology, the nation's oldest professional theatre training program. At Carnegie, Dr. Hoffman became a leading spokesperson for the in depth training of theatre artists, including actors, directors, playwrights and designers. He has been Professor Emeritus at NYU since 1989.

David J. Oppenheim came to New York University in February of 1969 to serve as the second Dean of the School of the Arts. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in 1943, Dr. Oppenheim enjoyed an early career as a renowned clarinetist. Before coming to NYU, he worked for years as a producer in the music and television industries. From 1950 to 1959, Dr. Oppenheim served as the director of classical music at Columbia Records. During the early 1960s, he worked first at the American Broadcasting Company and then at the National Broadcasting Company, before producing a number of cultural productions for the Columbia Broadcasting System between 1964 and 1967. In 1968 he became the executive producer of cultural affairs at the Public Broadcasting Laboratory.

When Dr. Oppenheim came to NYU, the School of the Arts had only four departments. Under his leadership, the school quadrupled in size. Dr. Oppenheim retired as Dean in 1991 after 22 years with NYU.