He also enlisted the assistance of Josephine McGarry Callan, a vocal coach, who was particularly noted for the excellence of the choral speaking she supervised in campus productions of Greek tragedy, and such plays as T.S.
With his deep dramatic voice, athlete's frame, full head of silver hair, and often dressed in his white Dominican robes, Hartke was an arresting presence.
Well-known and highly regarded in social, business and political circles, he played an active role in the fight against racial discrimination in Washington, D.C., and served on the board of the revived Ford's Theatre.
In 1963, he was one of two Catholic priests (the other being Robert Paul Mohan) dispatched to the White House from the CUA to remain with the body of assassinated President John F. Kennedy until the official funeral, as requested by his widow.
His longtime friend Helen Hayes made her final stage appearance in CUA's on-campus Hartke Theatre, in Eugene O'Neill's classic Long Day's Journey into Night.
[2] Hartke and Catholic University were given one of Judy Garland’s dresses from the movie The Wizard of Oz, which they were auctioning for the benefit of their drama school.