R. Eugene Jackson

The R Eugene Jackson Scholarship was established by Dr. R. Eugene Jackson who received his undergraduate degree from the University of Memphis, his M.S. from Kent State University, and his Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. His playwriting was greatly influenced and inspired by SIU’s Dr. Christian Moe and by the department’s other impressive instructors. He later taught drama in Ohio, Wisconsin, and San Francisco, and landed lastly at the University of South Alabama in Mobile from which he recently retired.

Jackson’s first published play was Ferdinand and the Dirty Knight, which was chosen by the late Shubert Fendrich of Pioneer Drama Service. Since then he has been fortunate to have a large number of his plays selected for publication. Many titles may be seen at his (never up-to-date) website, www.REugeneJackson.com. He is also a member of the Dramatists Guild.

He remembers the financial difficulties he experienced in graduate school and he understands that present students have similar problems. So this is his way to be of some assistance to young students and to honor SIU for the education and good times it gave him.