Remembering Eric Nordholm

Eric (Nordie) Nordholm will forever remain a legacy in the PLU theatre department. David Robbins, Senior Advancement Officer and former chair of the music department recounts Eric’s impact at PLU.

“Nordie was a longtime faculty member in the Theater Department at PLU. He was hired in 1955 and served 35 years at the university. He is fondly remembered for directing musical theater productions in his early years, as well as establishing and nurturing children’s theater productions. The children’s theater productions brought hundreds of local elementary school children to then, Eastvold Auditorium to have their first live theater experience. Because Eastvold held around 1100 people, and the children productions ran for several performances, the number of students impacted by Nordie’s work annually and over the years was huge. I personally had the privilege and honor to work with Nordie on both musical theater and children’s theater productions in my early years at PLU.”

“Through most of Nordie’s tenure at PLU, he served as technical director and stage manager for all events presented in Eastvold Auditorium. Eastvold was Nordie’s domaine and there he insisted on the highest standards of professionalism from both students and colleagues. He imparted those standards as well as his deep love of the theater arts to all who worked with him at PLU.”

“After Nordie retired, he remained involved in theater at PLU, particularly the remodel of Eastvold Auditorium to which he gave generously in his lifetime. It was perhaps not surprising that in his estate he established an endowment for the theater program, the Nordholm Endowed Theatre Fund. Nordie left the application of the annual funding generated by his endowment to the discretion of the Director of Theater. Nordie’s legacy and passion for theater lives on in the lives of our students and community today.”