John T Martin

john.martin@courierpress.com

Ronald E. Glass, who broke into theater while a student at the University of Evansville and later starred in the well-known television series “Barney Miller” and “Firefly,” died Friday at age 71.

Glass’ representative said the actor had recently battled health problems. He died at his Los Angeles home.

The Evansville native graduated from UE with a double major in drama and literature. He had served as an at-large member of the UE Board of Trustees since 2008. Long involved in philanthropy in Evansville, he was chairman of the Evansville African American Museum national capital campaign and was a recipient of a key to the city.

Glass was a cast member on “Barney Miller” during the show’s entire run, from 1975-82. On the show, which was set in a New York Police Department station in Greenwich Village, he played Ron Harris, an intellectual, fashionable detective who also dabbled as an author. In 1982, the role earned Glass a Primetime Emmy nomination in the Supporting Actor category.

On the 2002 science-fiction series “Firefly” and its sequel movie, “Serenity,” Glass played Derrial Book, a Shepherd and the frequent giver or spiritual advice.

Glass had numerous other acting credits, with his most recent appearances coming on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (2014) and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (2014), according to his imdb.com profile. He appeared on two episodes of “Friends” in 1999. Before his breakout “Barney Miller” role, Glass had guest roles on “Sanford & Son,” “All in the Family” and “Hawaii Five-O” in the early 1970s.

Glass told the Courier & Press in 2007 that when he started at UE, he aspired to be a teacher. But when he took a class in oral interpretation, a teacher named Dudley Thomas encouraged him to try out for a play, and his interest in acting blossomed. After graduation, he made his stage debut at Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis before moving to Los Angeles.

Glass was active in community efforts in Los Angeles as well as Evansville. He was chairman of the board of the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to empowering the growth of young people in the community in crisis, according to his UE profile.

In 1980, he was awarded the University of Evansville’s Medal of Honor and was most recently given the 2008 Distinguished Alumnus Award by the UE Alumni Association.

Lu Porter, director of the Evansville African American Museum, said Glass took great interest in the museum and stopped by often when he was in town. Several artifacts from his acting career, including a police badge from “Barney Miller,” are on display there.

“Loved him. He was an awesome man,” Porter said. “We had a fun, fun time. I’m going to miss that going forward.”

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