Mullikin documents history in an unique way

By Kara Spadone
Staff Writer

If a picture is worth a thousand words than Mildred Mullikin can write a novel! Mullikin, a former Broward College theater faculty member, has pages upon pages of photos, letters and more documented in her scrapbooks at the Central Campus library that are solely dedicated to BC’s history. Mullikan plans to return to BC on Oct. 21-23 to reunite with old friends, colleagues, students and most importantly her scrapbooks.
“Ms. M,” as her students refer to her as, was born June 26, 1928, and graduated from Lander University in South Carolina, earning her Bachelor’s Degree. She earned her Master’s Degree from the University of Alabama. “I’m an eighth generation South Carolinian,” noted Mullikin.
Prior to working at BC, Mullikin taught at Blue Mountain College in North Mississippi for 10 years. She accepted the theater position at BC after several phone calls from Dr. Elzie Lauderdale, BC’s former dean, and persuasion from her own mother.
After a visit to South Florida to explore the school formerly known as BCC, the environment ended up growing on Mullikin and her mother. “I think we both kind of fell in love with South Florida and I did with the idea of building a program from, truly, the ground up,” said Mullikin.
Part of the reason for Mullikin’s initial decline of interest in the beginning was because she was focused on earning her Ph.D. However, Dr. Lauderdale assured her that she could get her Ph.D. from the University of Miami while she worked as head of the theater department at BC.
Mullikin explained that her love of theater came from her mother, an organist, and her father, a Methodist minister and Shakespeare enthusiast. “I had a lot of creative input from both parents,” added Mullikin.
Aside from teaching students, Mullikin also directed several plays. She confirmed that she directed some of the time, and other times she would do the design of the set. “I did a lot of the technical aspects of theater, too,” stated Mullikin.
During the 30 years Mullikin taught as head of the department, an average of four to five plays and musicals a year were conducted. “That’s a lot for a major university, much less a community college,” said Mullikin.
Some of the plays and musicals included: “Finian’s Rainbow,” “The Sound of Music,” “Fantastiks,” “The King and I,” “Baby,” “Fiddler on The Roof,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and “The Corn is Green.”
There were many more plays and musicals which Mullikin directed herself, such as “Cinderella,” “Winnie The Pooh,” and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” These pieces were part of Children’s Theater, a program that initially was a way for live theater to be provided to elementary school children at the college.
Mullikin was associated with Children’s Theater, and firmly believes that children need to be taken to live theater when they’re very young so they are able to experience it at an early age. She mentioned that one must be carefully taught and introduced to all the things in the world that make it exciting. “I have nothing against movies, but live theater- there’s no substitute for it,” claimed Mullikin.
Throughout the years, Mullikin would save articles, pictures, letters, and information from all her work with the drama department, and spent 10-12 years compiling and completing the scrapbooks after she retired in 1990. She said that she always saves things that she thinks might be pertinent to history. “I guess you could call me a pack rat,” joked Mullikin.
The 50th anniversary of BC is Aug. 2010, and Mullikin wanted to donate the scrapbooks prior to the anniversary so that it would be available for everyone to admire.
The scrapbooks were created because Mullikin wanted to value and savor all of the precious moments formulated throughout her theater career. “Our past is so important, and we have to remember it and we have to look at it because it will help us with the future,” said Mullikin.
Mullikin’s scrapbooks are located in the Archives and Special Collections Department on the fourth floor of the Central Campus library. Come check out the history of BC, and the woman behind all of the theatrical tenacity!