The Speed Lyceum is “in tune”
Entrance to the Robert M Speed Performance Lyceum // VF File Photo
Robert Speed, a former professor at Grand View University was recently recognized in the new Student Center when he was made the namesake of the new performance lyceum. Speed toured the new student center with Vice President of Advancement, Bill Burma, on Thursday, Sept. 10, and said he was pleased with the result of both his namesake lyceum and the building in general.
“It is a beautiful building,” Speed said.
Among other things, the lyceum will host vocal music performances, which is fitting considering that Speed studied music at Drake, Columbia and the University of London. In London, he expanded his focus to the arts in general.
“One year it was 18th century literature arts and music, and the other time I took it, it was Victorian literature,” Speed said.
When Speed returned to the states, he spent 44 years teaching for the humanities department on Grand View’s campus.
“I started teaching music classes, and the second year, the head of the English department said, ‘would you teach English literature?’ And I said ‘Oh heavens I couldn’t talk for five minutes.’”
Turns out that he could. Speed spent the next 43 years in the English department.
When Speed and his friends toured the building, he said, they were not just amazed by the campus but also how friendly the Grand View students were.
Though retired, Speed is still invested in Grand View and music. He still teaches a middle-school organ student.
“When I saw how extremely talented the child was, I couldn’t say no,” said Speed, who played organ himself for 68 years. “Though he doesn’t practice as much as I would like.”
Bill Burma, vice-president for advancement at Grand View, said the new Student Center was made possible entirely by donors and alumni, not tuition money.
“The student center was designed to create space for students to interact, eat, grow and even flirt outside of the classroom experience,” Burma said. “These donors have been contributing to Grand View for years and even decades.”
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