Dr. Janet Loring, professor emeriti and a revered figure in the theatre and academic community, passed away on July 3, 2024, in Fresno. She was 98.

Loring was born on March 2, 1926, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Elizabeth Gleason and Edward d’Arcy Loring. Growing up, she split her time with her mother in Kansas City and summers with her father in Chicago.

She received a B.S. in speech from Northwestern University near Chicago and her M.A. in theatre from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. She earned her Ph.D. in theatre history from the University of Iowa.

After spending a summer as an assistant to Dr. S. I. Hayakawa at the University of Hawaii, Loring joined the faculty of the Department of Theatre and Dance at Fresno State in 1957. While at Fresno State she was the driving force behind the launch of the Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) program and directed at least a dozen productions that toured the Valley’s elementary schools and played on campus.

"Dr. Loring is the reason our dedication to Theatre for Young Audiences is so strong at Fresno State,” said J. Daniel Herring, professor of theatre and director. “She was the backbone of that program over 60 years ago, and she fought to make it an integral part of our programming. Her advocacy for high-quality theatre for young people and the importance of drama education in our schools made Dr. Loring an asset to our department even after her retirement. In my 17 years at Fresno State, I enjoyed my many conversations with Dr. Loring about TYA and I will miss her and those talks."

Dr. Honora Chapman, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, said, “Dr. Loring made a profound impact on generations of Fresno State students, who fondly remember her decades later. Her Theatre colleagues and all of us are very grateful for the legacy she left in creating and then supporting Theatre for Young Audiences, a program that continues to delight and inspire children and adults around the Valley.”

In 1967, Loring was named “Outstanding Educator of the Year” by District Seven of the Parks and Recreation Society. She retired from Fresno State in 1995 and was granted emeriti status.

In the final years of her life, Loring wrote two books with plans to publish them through The Press at California State University, Fresno. Her first book, “The Mysterious Song of Me” is a scrapbook-style autobiography that she described as a “woman’s quest for fulfillment in rough times.” The second book, “Au Contraire: Jots and Shots,” is a collection of musings, photos and art. Both books were in the final stages of completion when Janet passed and are expected to be published soon.

Loring is survived by her brother John Robbins Loring, step-sister China Ibsen Oughton, niece Claudia Loring, nephews Alexander Loring and Benjamin Havrilak and a long list of close friends, many of which were her former students.

A celebration of her life will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, at The Terraces at San Joaquin Gardens, 5555 N. Fresno Street.

Perhaps it’s best for Janet Loring to tell you about her life in her own words. Before her passing, she wrote this first-person reflection.