By 1937, the idea of Iowa as a center for creative writing had made its way to Tom Williams, an aspiring playwright and transfer student a year short of a degree. He enrolled at the University of Iowa, earning his B.A. in 1938, and soon thereafter picked up the moniker “Tennessee.”

In this image, Tennessee Williams is seen performing as a student in a stage production of Henry VI, Part 1 at the University of Iowa, on April 1938. Williams stands in the center of the picture, on the rock cliff.