William “Dabbs” Greer is best known for his television role as Reverend Alden on the “Little House on the Prairie” series that ran from 1974-1983, but, before he achieved his television fame, Greer was a student at Drury. Greer graduated from Drury College in 1939 with a bachelor’s degree in English. After graduation, the Missouri native taught speech and drama at Mountain Grove High School. Later, he moved to California where Greer joined the Pasadena Playhouse and then went into the film business. Greer appeared in more than 95 films, including “The Green Mile” where he played Tom Hanks’s character as an old man. He also acted in hundreds of television shows.
William "Dabbs" Greer
While at Drury, Greer was active with the Drury Lane Troupers, eventually advancing to president. Greer was also a member of the Mirror staff (the Drury student newspaper), Theta Kappa Nu fraternity, which later became Lambda Chi Alpha, and he was active with Springfield Little Theatre.
Despite all of his success, Greer never forgot Drury. He was an active volunteer for the university and chaired many campaigns to raise funds for the school. He was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1964, and he received an honorary degree in 1992 when he was the commencement speaker.
William Greer Drury yearbook photo
Even after his death in 2007 at the age of 90, Greer continued to support the school through a major estate gift for scholarships to Drury students in the arts. One of the departments that benefits from his generosity is the theatre department, where his legacy has helped many students pursue their dreams of performing.
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Author Katie Felkel is a sophomore advertising and public relations major at Drury.
