Awarded the 2007 National Medal of the Arts by George W. Bush.
Founding director of San Diego's Old Globe Theatre.
He became involved with the then-fledgling Old Globe Theater when he was a 22-year-old actor cast in a play there. He became the artistic director in 1949. By 1960, he had helped it develop into a professional troupe.
He helped increase interest in Shakespeare by founding the San Diego National Shakespeare Festival. He also helped introduce the works of modern playwrights such as Edward Albee, Samuel Beckett, and Bertolt Brecht.
He established a masters of fine arts in acting program at the University of San Diego.