Professor Emeritus William D. Hall, a well-regarded faculty figure at Chapman University since 1963, was known for his many accomplishments and contributions to the university. Hall was 89.

In an Oct. 9 email to the Chapman community, Provost Norma Bouchard announced Hall’s passing, which occurred on Oct. 7. Hall was the founding dean of the university’s College of Performing Arts (CoPA) as well as the founding dean and artistic director of the Musco Center for the Arts.

“Under Dean Hall’s leadership, the Department of Music became the School of Music, then the Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music, and it eventually merged with dance, theater (and, briefly, with art) to become the College of Performing Arts,” the email stated. “In his capacity as the inaugural dean of the new College of Performing Arts, Dr. Hall oversaw the successful accreditations of all the performing arts programs, as well as the hiring and tenuring of many of the current faculty, and in 2003, the opening of Oliphant Hall, which houses the music program to this day.”

President Daniele Struppa also credited Hall for the hard work and dedication he put into establishing a valuable curriculum for students pursuing performing arts majors and minors.

“I can tell you that during my first year as Provost at Chapman, in 2006, I realized we had a great opportunity to consolidate the arts (Theater, Dance and Music) and create a powerful new college,” Struppa told The Panther. “At that time, Hall was the Dean of the School of Music, and I admired his talent in building a first-class operation, and even more, his ability to hire very high-quality faculty. I still remember when he invited me to his conference room to introduce me to a cadre of wonderful new (CoPA) faculty.”

Current CoPA Dean Giulio Ongaro, who began his position in August 2015, also reflected on Hall’s vision for creating a school that unified all of the performing arts together.

“He did not have a direct impact on me, but (he did have) a very important indirect impact in creating the college I now lead and in being instrumental in the building of the Musco Center for the Arts, which our students use all year for a variety of performances,” Ongaro said. “At Chapman, I can say he had a very significant impact and that he was part of our success story.”

Along with helping to create CoPA, Hall will also be remembered by the Chapman community for his help in designing and founding Chapman’s Musco Center for the Arts, which opened to the public in March 2016. 

Here at Chapman, Hall has helped to teach and mentor generations of vocal and conducting students, spanning from 1963 to 2007. He was also declared the first distinguished professor to ever hold the Bertea Family Endowed Chair in Music, a $1 million gift from Chapman trustees Richard and Hyla Bertea.

Hall’s love for music and the performing arts stuck with him throughout his entire life. At the age of 21, Hall established his very own ensemble, The William Hall Chorale and Orchestra, which toured and performed all across the U.S. and internationally. The ensemble still performs to this day under its new partnership with the Master Chorale of Orange County. 

Alongside his passion for the arts, Hall also enjoyed creating and hosting events for the Chapman and surrounding Orange community to attend. 

In his first year at Chapman, the university asked Hall to organize a Christmas music program for the Orange community, now known as the Annual Holiday Wassail Concert. This celebration, founded by Hall, remains a fan-favorite holiday tradition for families, students and community members in Orange County.

Hall also directed Chapman Celebrates, an annual performance that helps to raise money to fund student scholarships. After a 40-year run, over $40 million for scholarships was raised. The grand finale of Chapman Celebrates took place in February 2023. 

Following these accomplishments, Hall retired from Chapman University in August 2021. However, his legacy on campus will never fade.

“Hall was a master teacher who made learning the greatest adventure and inspired generations of students with a love for and dedication to music,” said Amy Graziano, who serves as the chair and professor of music at the Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music. “Those students went on to perform nationally and internationally and to be teachers themselves, so his legacy will live on, out in the world as well as at Chapman.”

Hall is survived by his children, grandchildren and his husband and partner of 39 years, David Masone.

To honor Hall and aid in carrying on his legacy, the family requests that people donate to the Chapman University William Hall Legacy Endowment or to the California Choral Directors Association Dr. William Hall ECCO Scholarship.

A private memorial service for Hall has been scheduled off the coast of Santa Catalina Island for his family, friends and loved ones to attend. A public event to celebrate Hall and his many accomplishments and endeavors is set to be announced at a later date.

“(Hall) was definitely larger than life and I think one of the best at convincing people to buy into his vision and to support it,” Ongaro said. “He was a fierce champion of the arts. What he accomplished is amazing.”