Giving Stories
Fern and John Armstrong
Fern and John Armstrong established the John D. and Fern Hodge Armstrong Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Performance in 1989. The couple funded the popular competition annually. Hundreds of School of Music students have benefitted from the Armstrong Award over the past 24 years and their careers will serve as a tribute to this legacy. In 2009, John passed away. The competition was held for the last time in February 2012. Fern has shared that she will always feel a part of the School of Music and has fond memories of her time here. Fern was a Music Education graduate from 1952 and John graduated in 1950 in Mechanical Engineering.
Paul and Sharon Green
Paul and Sharon Green established a four-year recruitment scholarship dedicated to the memory of their son Robert H. Green. Robert graduated from U of I in 1995 and had an outstanding career as a music educator, conductor, and arranger. The scholarship will be presented publicly on April 25 at our School of Music awards program.
Jim and Candy Frame
Jim and Candy Frame recently donated a seven-figure gift to create the James R. Frame and Candace Penn Frame University Bands Endowment Fund to provide unrestricted support to the University of Illinois Bands. Jim is a member of the class of 1973 and Candy graduated in 1972.
Bruno Nettl
Professor Emeritus Bruno Nettl donated a large portion of his recently won Taichi Traditional Music Award, given by the China Conservatory and the Taichi Traditional Music Foundation. His gift will support world music activities at the School of Music and the Center for World Music.
Joe Bartkowiak Scholarship
The Joe Bartkowiak Scholarshipwas awarded for the first time last April to undergraduate trumpet major Joseph Pleshar. Joe’s close friend Michael Hibberd raised funds for this scholarship through events held at Our Lady of Loretto Men’s Club where Joe was a member.