For Scott Lax ’76, Hiram College was more than a place to earn a degree, it was a launching pad for a life rich with creativity, exploration, and reinvention. Drawn to the College for its small size, secluded beauty, and strong English department, Scott found a community where he could fully immerse himself in both academic and artistic pursuits.

Majoring in English with an area of concentration in American studies, Scott’s Hiram experience included classes with influential professors such as David Fratus, David Anderson, and Hale Chatfield. His time at Hiram was as vibrant outside the classroom as within—performing as a drummer in the Jazz Ensemble (including a concert tour in New York), running track his senior year, and embarking on a life-changing trip to Cambridge, England to study Shakespeare’s History Plays. Even informal moments, like jam sessions in a friend’s dorm room or late-night conversations with friends over snacks, became lasting memories.

Take as many liberal arts classes as you can. Try things you never thought you could do. Don’t give up.

Today, Scott is a senior professor of practice in liberal arts and creative writing at the Cleveland Institute of Art, as well as an accomplished novelist, screenwriter, playwright, journalist, movie producer, and content specialist. His career highlights span multiple creative fields, including the world premiere of his stage play 1970, based on his novel The Year That Trembled, at the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre in September and October 2023. Scott also recently received the Dan Tranberg Award for Teaching Excellence.

Scott’s creative journey has been anything but linear. He credits Hiram with giving him the liberal arts mindset that prepared him for an unconventional career—spanning business, political activism, professional music, and the arts. “Hiram helped me to think about things, to have a liberal arts view of the world,” he reflects. “At 73 years old, I feel my best work is in front of me.”

His advice for today’s students is simple and heartfelt: “Take as many liberal arts classes as you can. Try things you never thought you could do. Don’t give up.”

Though his professional path has taken him far beyond Hiram’s campus, Scott says the college still connects him to “the idealism of my youth… because I am still an idealist.”