Cherokee Co., TX - Obits: Zula Holcomb Pearson ***************************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb by: Don Brownlee USGenWeb Archives. Copyright. All rights reserved http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ***************************************************** Lon Morris College Today, November 1986 Zula Holcomb Pearson, organizer of the nationally famous LMC drama department, died in September in Rusk, Texas, her life-time home. After graduation from Rusk High School and Rusk College, she received a B. A. degree at Baylor University, studied in New York at Theodore Irvine School for the Theatre and later received her master's degree at Northwestern University. After her marriage in 1932 to LMC coach, Arch Pearson, she began teaching and later organized the drama department oat Lon Morris. In addition, she wrote and directed the Tomato Pageants during the time Jacksonville was known as the "Tomato Capitol of the World." Her work with religious drama developed into service for World Council of Churches, for which she conducted annual national workshops. During her tenure at LMC, her students won over 40 state and national awards in drama. She was one of the first recipients of the Texas Education Theatre Award for her contributions to Texas cultural arts and in 1978 was honored as "Citizen of the Year" by the Rusk Chamber of Commerce. Although she retired from Lon Morris in 1970, she continued to be active in the theatre and organized the Cherokee Civic Theatre, directing annual productions there until 1984. Delta Psi Omega, the national honor fraternity for drama students chapter at LMC, is establishing an endowment in memory of Zula Pearson.