Master Tap Dancers Receive Honorary Doctorates Atkins, Charles "Cholly" performer Briggs, Bunny performer Brown, James "Buster" performer LeGon, Jeni performer LeTang, Henry performer Nichola, Fayard performer Social Event 2002-02-22 Oklahoma City University presents Honorary Doctor of Performing Arts in American Dance degrees to Donald O'Connor and nine "Doctors of Dance" Charles "Cholly" Atkins, Bunny Briggs, James "Buster" Brown, Jeni LeGon, Henry LeTang, Fayard Nicholas, Leonard Reed, Jimmy Slyde, and Prince Spencer. Dance Chairwoman Jo Rowan and Dean John Bedford. The Living Treasure in American Dance Award Program, initiated in 1989 by Professor Jo Rowan, to add legitimacy within higher education to tap dance, tap education, and tap performers. The first recipient was Tommy Sutton who, among many accomplishments, created a progressive tap syllabus. Other recipients of the award included Al Gilbert, Honi Coles, Maceo Anderson, Peg Leg Battes, Henry LeTang, Harold Cromer, Buster Brown, Jimmy Slyde, Dianne Walker, Cholly Atkins, Leonard Reed, Marion Coles and the Silver Belles, Bunny Briggs, Jeni LeGon, Fayard Nicholas, Prince Spencer, Ernest "Brownie" Brown, and Arthur Duncan. Performing Arts Encyclopedia http://www.loc.gov/performingarts Tap Dance America http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/tda/tda-home.html James "Buster" Brown (biography) loc.music.tdabio.30 Henry LeTang (biography) loc.music.tdabio.128 Jeni LeGon (biography) loc.music.tdabio.125 Bunny Briggs (biography) loc.music.tdabio.27 Charles "Cholly" Atkins (biography) loc.music.tdabio.17 tda IHAS 151216 loc.music.tda.649