Southeast Missouri State University has added a scholarship for theatre and dance students in memory of the life of Larry E. Weller.
The Larry E. Weller Theatre Scholarship will go to a student in the Jeanine Larson Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre and Dance based on financial need. Preference will be given to Bachelor of Fine Arts students majoring in design/technology. Weller passed away in 2021 and his family created the scholarship to honor his passion for Southeast theatre.Larry Weller was born in Columbus, Ohio and always had an interest in technology and design. He worked a wide variety of job, including as an electrical engineer for Fru-Con, which took him to Procter & Gamble in Cape Girardeau County. Weller and his wife, Vera, decided to make Cape Girardeau their permanent home.Weller continued to work in Cape Girardeau to build several homes in the region. In the 1980s, he helped with some welding work on scenery in the Southeast theatre scene shop and fell in love with the backstage portion of shows. Many times, Weller accompanied his daughter walking through the sets of Southeast productions during her time as a student.Even though he was never a Southeast student, Weller continued to hold Southeast in high regard and was especially proud to see his granddaughter attend Southeast.
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