A Quiet Retirement (Sort of)In
1951, Kyser, at 44 still considered a giant in the
entertainment industry, called it quits. He and Georgia
returned to Chapel Hill. "Kay never did anything without
mentioning North Carolina," Georgia said recently. "We came
back here to live because thats where he wanted to
be." The
Kysers settled in an old house on the edge of campus, once
owned by his uncle. They raised three daughters
Amanda, Carroll and Kimberly there, which today is
the oldest house in Chapel Hill. Kyser
gave generously to the university that gave him his musical
start. He wrote a song for UNC, "Tar Heels on Hand," in
1937. Once he got back to Chapel Hill, his contributions
were more frequent. Through the Kyser Foundation,
established in Kyser
also supported the music department, PlayMakers Theatre, the
pharmacy school and the universitys Center for Public
Television. He was awarded the Carolina Playmakers Alumnal
Award in 1960, was honored by the Golden Fleece and later
won the UNC's Distinguished Alumnus Award. He also palled
around with some of the universitys most esteemed
administrators, academics and alumni the people whose
names adorn the buildings on todays campus. Kysers ties to the
university were further strengthened when Georgia began
taking classes there. She took a course a year, and received
a bachelors degree in studio art after 19 years of
school. Kyser donned his old "Kollege" cap and gown as part
of the celebration. The couples daughters also
graduated from UNC. As a
man who made his fame and fortune in entertainment,
naturally Kyser was an advocate for the arts. He donated to
the North Carolina Symphony Society endowment fund, and the
state had the first state symphony orchestra in the
country. Kyser
also supported "The Lost Colony" Americas first
and longest-running outdoor drama. Written by his friend,
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green, it chronicles
the mysterious disappearance of the New Worlds first
English settlement. The play is still performed on the Outer
Banks, where the 117 settlers first set foot on Roanoke
Island. More than 3 million visitors have seen it since its
1937 debut. | |
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