Robert Scott Fuller, born in Searcy, Arkansas in 1936, was a nationally recognized high school choral director, pianist, and music educator whose work influenced generations of singers and teachers. He graduated from Searcy High School in 1954, earned his

undergraduate degree from Hendrix College in 1958, and later received a master's degree in sacred music from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. After graduation, he remained in NYC for another year, to study under the world-renowned, Israeli choral conductor Abraham Kaplan, at The Julliard School. No story about Bob Fuller would be

complete without adding that he also married his high school sweetheart, Anita Hart Fuller, a graduate of the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. Anita supported her husband’s studies, working as an instructor at St. Luke’s Hospital, while the couple lived in Manhattan.

 

Fuller’s stay in New York would complement his academic studies, though not intentionally. In the hours and days following the November 22, 1963, assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Bob was asked to join other hastily gathered performers in a CBS News Radio performance of a symphony conducted by famed composer, Leonard Bernstein. With his master’s degree in hand, Bob and Anita chose to return home to Arkansas, where Fuller taught choral music at Jonesboro High School for 14 years. In that time, he built a respected program known for musical excellence and equally high standards. His weekends were spent serving as choir director for the First United

Methodist Church, then the First Baptist Church, in Jonesboro, extending his leadership well beyond the classroom.

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In 1978, after spending several summers teaching choral music at Southern Illinois University, Fuller’s reputation among his colleagues led to his being offered an open position as the lead Choir Director for Oak Park and River Forest High School in Illinois. Just as he had done in Jonesboro, Mr. Fuller successfully transformed his students into dedicated musicians, for whom performing would become a livelihood, taking some of them to Broadway, others to Hollywood, and just as many content to sing in their community choirs. In his later years at OPRFHS, Bob was tapped to be the Director of the Fine Arts Department, a position he kept until his retirement. Wanting to provide adults with a forum to continue finding joy in music, Fuller founded The Heritage Chorale, an adult community choir still performing today. He was also elected President of both the Arkansas Choral Directors Association and the Illinois Choral Directors Association, a rare distinction that reflected his far-reaching impact on his profession.

 

Beginning in Jonesboro, then every other year in Oak Park, Bob and Anita would chaperone his choirs, performing to great fanfare in various European cities, always including Vienna, Austria, his favorite. His first introduction to Vienna came while he was still in Jonesboro.

 

Bob attended a two-week long choral music symposium. He fell in love with Vienna and said its musical history felt like being at home in a foreign land. 

 

Fuller was known for his deep commitment to musical literacy, disciplined rehearsals, sight reading skills, and the belief that students could achieve excellence through high expectations and strong guidance. Through his teaching, leadership, and advocacy, he left an enduring legacy in Arkansas and beyond, and his induction into the Arkansas Choral Directors Association Hall of Fame honors a career devoted to elevating high school choral students into strong and successful musicians.

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Bob died peacefully on September 13, 2019. His wife, Anita, survives as do his children, son Christopher Scott Fuller, a retired band director, and daughter, Karen Fuller, a morning TV News Anchor for KTHV, Little Rock.