In early January, former Professor Emeritus of Theatre, founder and head coach of Principia College’s Mediation team, Jeff Steele, passed away. A watercooler by Dean of Academics Dr. Meggan Madden was released in his memory on January 23rd, 2025, which highlighted his importance to the Principia community and his profound impact on faculty and students. His wife, Chrissy Steele, theater department chair and professor here at the college, met with us to discuss Jeff’s passing.
Jeff first came to Principia during the winter quarter of ‘99, where he received a call from a Principia College faculty member, inviting him to cover a history of theatre class. He then was asked to return for spring quarter to direct an improvisational comedy show called “Bring on the Millenium,” which later became the inception of “Lazy Zipper,” the college’s improv group.
Jeff later left the college in 2001 to pursue his doctorate in Shakespeare but soon returned in 2009 as multi-disciplinary faculty, where he taught theatre, mass communication, and other classes in the English department.
When asked about Jeff’s legacy, Chrissy highlighted his peacemaking skills and the mediation team, emphasizing their achievements. “So many of the students that were part of the mediation team have gone to get law degrees and become mediators themselves,” said Chrissy. “They were competing at a really high level, and we at Principia are proud of them because we’re such a small school, yet we were able to compete in the big leagues.”
A factor behind the team’s success was Jeff’s philosophy, which helped students look into mediation’s larger and deeper purpose beyond just competition. “I think Jeff had a really clear way of coaching the students through the approach to mediation as being a peacemaker,” Chrissy said. “He really trained the students to be thinking of it in that way, and that made them very successful in competition.”
During his years at Principia, Jeff also frequently joined summer sessions to teach mediation, where adult learners could come back to college and take a plethora of classes. “Summer session was a special time for him because they were connecting with adults,” Chrissy said. “Some were alumni of Principia, some were friends; I think he really enjoyed teaching for that.”
Chrissy then shared about Jeff’s ability to always be present in conversations and engaged with those he cared about. “But Jeff is a really good listener, and I really think he really cared about his students,” Chrissy said. “I think there were a lot of students that spent time in his office talking with him, working through challenges, talking about academic subjects that he had expertise in, and he loved to learn and loved to share his knowledge.”
His legacy lives on through the students he mentored, the programs he built, and the values he instilled in the Principia community—one of curiosity, connection, and the pursuit of understanding.