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I am honored to write about the beloved professor, Prince Charles of Queens.
Dr. Charles O. Hadley finished his 50th year of teaching at Queens in May 2006. He came to Queens in 1955, six years out of Davidson, directly from France where he studied for a year on a Fulbright Scholarship.
From the beginning, Queens' students loved Dr. Hadley. He instilled in them a love of learning and a respect for literature that has lasted a lifetime. His eloquent voice and his regal stance commanded awe, but his sense of humor and classroom stories also evoked laughter and love. Dr. Hadley has won virtually every teaching honor at Queens and remains a popular representative at alumni events both on campus and out of town.
Dr. Hadley also enjoys a second reputation as “voice coach to the stars.” He has coached many, including Charlton Heston, Nick Nolte, John Travolta, Robert Duval and Scarlett Johansen, but his greatest reputation is as a star himself to the thousands of former Queens’ students who still clamor for his hand on their shoulder and the famous words, “You know I taught you everything you know!”
We also owe much to Dr. Hadley for bringing his beloved Jane to teach at Queens after they married in 1972. She has become an equal partner in the dynamic duo for whom The Jane and Charles Hadley Theater is named. They have given hundreds of programs all over the southeast to enthralled audiences and have led a popular alumni travel program to many destinations in Europe for more than 10 summers.
Even if you never took a class or had a conversation with this institutional icon, I invite you to visit the Charles Hadley Reading Room in Everett Library. This new space has been created to honor his legacy and to preserve the many items that graced Dr. Hadley’s office in his McEwen classroom for 50 years.
President Pamela Davies summed up the Charles Hadley legend in her tribute at the 2006 graduation. After reading the many accolades that have been written about Dr. Hadley over the years, she was struck by a former student who said that Dr. Hadley should be considered a national treasure. Dr. Davies agreed, and officially declared Charles Hadley, “A National Treasure of Queens.”
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