Nancy Dussault

Distinguished Alumnae Award Recipient, 1990

The Alumnae Award recognizes a woman who has brought honor to Northwestern University through outstanding professional contributions in her field and who has attained national recognition. Established in 1976, the Alumnae Award has been presented every year to an alumna who has had a significant impact in her field of endeavor. Educators, journalists, doctors, scientists, and artists are included among The Alumnae’s roster of awardees.

Bienen School Music ’57 BS

Award-winning Actress Dussault made her Broadway debut in 1960 in the hit musical, “Do Re Mi,” receiving a Tony nomination for Best Supporting or Featured Actress in a Musical in 1961. In 1964 and 1965, she appeared in the Broadway hit “Bajour,” receiving her second Tony nomination in 1965 for Best Female Musical Lead. Many other stage productions followed, including “Carousel,” “Peter Pan,” “Finian’s Rainbow,” “Fiorello!.” “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,” “South Pacific,” and “Into The Woods.” She also was one of the first hosts of ABC-TV’s “Good America,” appearing alongside David Hartman at its premier on November 3, 1975. She returned to the stage in 1977 to star in the Sondheim musical, “Side by Side.” From 1980 to 1983 Dussault portrayed Ted Knight’s wife in the TV comedy “Too Close for Comfort in 1980. The show won a People’s Choice Award for Best New Television Comedy in 1981. She won an Emmy Award for “Cabaret Tonight,” a PBS special, and has appeared in TV specials and as a guest on TV talk shows. She started teaching musical theater at UCLA when she moved to Los Angeles to continue her theater career. In 1989 she released her first CD, “Heart and Soul,” a collection of cabaret songs.