Phyllis Toal Dircks ’60 AM,

Phyllis Toal Dircks ’60 AM, of Huntington, N.Y.; Jan. 16. She began her teaching career as a professor of English literature at St. John’s, where she met her future husband, then taught at C.W. Post College of Long Island University for more than 50 years. During the course of her career, she was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Danforth Foundation Teacher Fellowship, the National Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, and the Long Island University David Newton Award for Excellence in Teaching. A specialist in contemporary American drama, she was a national expert on the works of playwrights Eugene O’Neil and Edward Albee. She authored several books and many scholarly articles. She was a member of the board of directors of Theatre Library Association and served the American Society for Theatre Research for many years as newsletter editor and archivist. She is survived by five children and 19 grandchildren.