Anna Deavere Smith appointed George Eastman Professor

Harris Manchester is delighted that Anna Deavere Smith, Honorary Fellow, has been appointed to the George Eastman Visiting Professorship in the Faculty of English for Michaelmas Term 2023. 

Professor Deavere Smith is an is an actor, playwright and a Professor at the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. Although perhaps best known to a worldwide audience for her performance as Dr Nancy McNally in The West Wing, she has received particular acclaim for her playwrighting technique of ‘verbatim theatre’, by which her script (which she often performs in one-woman shows) is drawn from real-life interviews. Among her distinctions are the Gish Prize, the Jefferson Lectureship, and honorary degrees from several colleges and universities, including from Oxford in 2021. Earlier this year, President Biden appointed her to his President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. 

The Eastman Professorship was established in 1929 by George Eastman, founder of the Eastman Kodak Company, and administered by the American Association of Rhodes Scholars. The Professorship is awarded each year to a distinguished scholar from the United States of America. More information on the Professorship, including past recipients, can be found on the AARS website. 

The Principal, Professor Jane Shaw, said of the appointment: ‘My colleagues and I had the pleasure of conferring an Honorary Fellowship on Anna in 2021 and hosting her in College, when she gave a particularly fascinating ‘in conversation’ talk about her career in the arts with an audience of College members. We very much look forward to engaging with her again during her return visit to Oxford.’

Professor Deavere Smith will be attached to the Faculty of English and to Balliol College for the duration of her appointment.