Communication professor emeritus Frank Galati (Communication ‘65, MFA ‘67, Ph.D. ‘71) died at age 79 on Jan. 2, Northwestern announced on Tuesday. 

Galati, who became a professor in the performance studies department in 1971 and was named professor emeritus in 2006, was a writer, director and actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his 1988 adapted romance-drama screenplay of “The Accidental Tourist.”

Galati also won two Tony Awards in 1990 for his adaption of “The Grapes of Wrath,” which originated at Steppenwolf Theatre. After his retirement in 2006, Galati moved to Sarasota, Florida, where he served as an artistic associate at Asolo Repertory Theatre.

“Frank was a towering figure in both SoC and industry and leaves behind a bounty of profound performance work and a legacy that will live on through those he trained and whose lives he touched,” Communication Dean E. Patrick Johnson said. “He embodied and practiced so much of what we preach in our pedagogy, with his unbounded creativity, collaborative spirit and playful approach to the rigors of performance.”

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