It was the PITs at IPFW and now 'Bulldog' wants to say thanks

By Jayne Spencer

Fort Wayne native Dan Butler, who stars as a macho radio sportscaster on NBC's Frasier, has established a $25,000 endowed scholarship for theater majors at IPFW.

Linda Ruffolo, director of development at IPFW, said Butler indicated he wanted the scholarship to help continue the mission and vision for theater at IPFW begun by the late O. Franklin Kenworthy. "All of us who knew Frank revered him," said Ruffolo. "I knew it would please Frank to think that a former student would make it possible for his vision to be perpetuated."

During his senior year at Northrop High School, Butler performed in his first Purdue-Indiana Theatre (PIT) production, Canterbury Tales. After graduation in 1973, Butler became a member of the PIT summer acting troupe, acting, building scenery, hanging lights and running sound, an experience that instilled in him respect for every aspect of theater and the "ensemble" theater concept. In 1975, he won the national Irene Ryan (The Beverly Hillbillies) grant for acting studies. Butler saw the scholarship as a "sign" to move out of the Midwest, so after attending IPFW for one year, he transferred to San Jose State University for a year before dropping out of school altogether to focus on his acting career.

Butler and Frasier series star Kelsey Grammer became acquainted when both were apprenticing at the Globe Theater in San Diego.