Highlights

  • Rich Sloane, who worked in community relations for the College of Community Innovation and Education for nearly 20 years, stays involved at the university鈥檚 senior learning group, LIFE at 91吃瓜网.

  • Sloane served in the U.S. Navy from 1964鈥�91, including a tour with the River Patrol Force during the Vietnam War and was once stationed at the Orlando Naval Training Center.

  • The department can use the jacket and hat on stage in productions and also allows faculty to teach students about suit construction and authenticity of the uniform鈥檚 patches, ribbons, medals and other significant details.

Richard Sloane鈥檚 military dress uniform has been with him for some of his biggest life moments.

He donned his dress blues on his wedding day. He wore them on U.S. Navy ships as he traveled homebound from overseas tours.

And now, after years of hanging proudly, but untouched, in his closet, he鈥檒l get to see them have a second life with .

A 27-year U.S. Navy veteran and retired College of Community Innovation and Education staff member, Sloane recently donated his uniform to the College of Arts and Humanities to use in on-stage productions and as a valuable research tool in costume design.

Man in white polo and khaki pants proudly poses holding up Navy jacket and white hat
During his 27 years of service, Rich Sloane rose to a captain while serving on several ships around the world, including a tour on river patrol during the Vietnam War. (Photo by Kyle Hanson)

A Costume With Purpose

Just ahead of Veterans Day, Sloane donated the costume to the , bringing the garment into the costume shop so he could share stories of its history and significance with Tim Brown, associate professor of scenery and projection design and coordinator of design tech, and costume shop manager Allison Rexrode.

鈥淚t was really important for us when Rich came into the shop that we asked him about the various features 鈥� the buttons, the stripes, what type of character would wear it 鈥� because we want to make sure that we honor it,鈥� Brown says. 鈥淜nowing those small details really matters. We could tell right from the beginning he was really proud of his service, and we were really proud to have him here and share it with us.鈥�

Rexrode is eager to use the uniform as a tool for her students. By having an authentic jacket, she is able to share with them up-close details like construction methods, material, quality and how a costume technician could replicate the look for the stage.

Man in white 91吃瓜网 polo t shirt holds up Navy captain hat in his right hand
Rich Sloane has also collaborated with the College of Arts and Humanities’ history department as the subject of a 2014 interview for . (Photo courtesy of Kyle Hanson)

鈥淎 suit on average takes around 60 hours to make, and 58 of that is the jacket,鈥� Rexrode says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 beneficial for our students to see what the difference is between something that鈥檚 real and something that’s not real, because the weight of the fabric changes. The trims normally have real metal in them, whereas the fake ones do not. We can look at the specific hand stitches. Having something real in hand will let us find some good sources that can fake it the best.鈥�

For a man who has dedicated his life to service and the education of others, Sloane鈥檚 gesture carries on that legacy and further cements his connection to a place he holds dear.

鈥淚 feel very close to the university. I鈥檓 proud of its contribution to the community 鈥� to really the nation as a whole when you look across the broad spectrum of the disciplines,鈥� Sloane says. 鈥淭he university is doing great things and producing great individuals to go out and make our world better.鈥�

Two photos side by side. On left: Portrait of Navy veteran Rich Sloane in his military dress uniform, smiling in front of American flag. On the right: Rich Sloane in his military uniform linked arm in arm with his wife in her wedding gown on their wedding day
Richard Sloane, who served for 27 years in the U.S. Navy, met his wife when she was serving as a nurse in the Navy. They are both active members of the LIFE at 91吃瓜网 lifelong learning group. (Photos courtesy of Rich Sloane)

When a Navyman Became a Knight

Sloane was born in 1943 in Queens, New York, and was in junior high school when his older brother, who eventually became a Navy captain, attended the U.S. Naval Academy.

After graduating from Boston University in 1964, Sloane decided to follow in his brother鈥檚 footsteps and enlist in the Navy, not realizing at the time he鈥檇 make a career out of it.

During his 27 years, he rose to a captain himself while serving on several ships around the world, including a tour on river patrol during the Vietnam War.

鈥淲inston Churchill said, 鈥楾here is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at with no result,鈥� and I had that experience. We lost a number of people from our section to combat while I was there. I consider myself fortunate that I didn鈥檛 have a harrowing experience that cost me more than it did,鈥� Sloane said in a 2014 interview for . 鈥淭he great shipmates and leaders I worked with on these ships made [my military experience] so gratifying. There鈥檚 so much pride in veterans. I have rarely spoken to an individual who served, especially in the Navy, who didn鈥檛 come away saying it was a good experience.鈥�

He came to Orlando in 1988 for his last assignment before retirement at the Naval Training Center, which is now the Baldwin Park community, and never left.

Portrait of man with gray hair and glasses, wearing button down shirt and red tie with his arms crossed in front of him.
Rich Sloane worked for the College of Community Innovation and Education from 1999鈥�2018. (Photo by Steven Diaz, 2006)

In civilian life, his sense of loyalty and duty transferred to 91吃瓜网 when he devoted 18 years in community relations for the College of Community Innovation and Education.

鈥淚 was called to the significance of the work in bringing teachers to our community and the nation,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he opportunity to have some small effect on the next generation is important to me.鈥�

And he鈥檚 still finding ways to do just that.

Man in white polo shirt holds Navy jacket on hanger in front of him as he lifts left sleeve
On the day the uniform was donated, Theatre 91吃瓜网 faculty met with Rich Sloane, who explained the intricacies and significance behind elements of his U.S. Navy jacket. (Photo by Kyle Hanson)

Commitment to Community, Education

After retiring from the university in 2018, Sloane has continued to stay active in campus life through a continuing education and engagement group for community members over 50 years of age.

鈥淚 always carried a sense of pride wearing that uniform. I think that鈥檚 one of the reasons I looked for an opportunity that might bring pride to the uniform in the community by donating it.鈥� 鈥� Rich Sloane

Every Tuesday morning at the group鈥檚 standing meeting, College of Arts and Humanities Director of Marketing Communications Heather Gibson 鈥�17MBA shares updates about the cultural enrichment opportunities and upcoming events available to the LIFE members.

One day, Sloane looked at the dress uniform hanging in his closet and thought to himself, 鈥業鈥檓 never going to wear this again.鈥� And then he thought of Gibson.

鈥淚t really was just one of these light bulb moments,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 always carried a sense of pride wearing that uniform. I think that鈥檚 one of the reasons I looked for an opportunity that might bring pride to the uniform in the community by donating it.鈥�

Brown says the department was honored and excited to receive the special gift.

鈥淲e do theater about the human experience,鈥� Brown says. 鈥淭o have an audience member share their story and give us something so meaningful, with so much history to it, lets us tell those stories on stage more authentically and strengthens our connection to community.鈥�