Robert Wise, born in 1914 in Winchester, IN, grew up in Connersville, IN. He attended Franklin College during the 1932-33 academic year but returned home due to the financial difficulties of the Great Depression. However, he remains associated with the class of 1936. While at Franklin College, he contributed to the athletics section of The Almanack and was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
Later in 1933, he headed west to Los Angeles and worked at RKO studios where his brother was an accountant. By 1939, he had risen to the role of editor, and in 1944 he directed his first film. Best known for directing West Side Story (1961) and The Sound of Music (1965), he won Academy Awards for best picture and best director. At age 84, he directed his last film in 2000 before passing in 2005.
Throughout his star-studded Hollywood career, Wise never forgot his roots and stayed involved with Franklin College. In 1968, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of fine arts, and he served on the board of trustees from 1970-1979. Afterward, he was named an honorary trustee and was later awarded an alumni citation award in 1994. He visited campus to engage with students in 1981 and later returned in 1987 to emcee the rededication of Old Main. He was even known to host alumni gatherings at his home in Los Angeles.
This collection consists of autographed materials, news clippings, and other sources relevant to his life, career, and legacy.
