Contact: Terry Denbow, University Relations, (517) 355-2262
2/17/2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. � The next generation of musicians will reap the rewards from a gift to the Michigan State University School of Music from President Lou Anna Kimsey Simon and Roy J. Simon.
The couple�s cash gifts to the School of Music will, through 2005, total $300,000, as part of $500,000 in cash gifts to the university. Their recent gift comes as part of The Campaign for MSU, which seeks to raise $1.2 billion to grow the university�s endowment. The Simons� most recent gift is partially designated to a new facility for the School of Music, including the Director of Jazz Studies Office/Studio and the Director of Spartan Marching Band Office/Studio.
The remaining portion of their cash gift will be added to the Drs. Lou Anna K. and Roy J. Simon Scholarship Fund. This endowed fund was established by the MSU Board of Trustees in November 2003 (in lieu of a salary adjustment at the request of Lou Anna Simon) to recognize her exemplary work, and the support of Roy Simon, while she served as both MSU provost and interim president. The Simons chose to continue to increase the scholarship fund to provide financial aid to students in the School of Music, especially those in the Jazz Studies Program.
�As we celebrate our sesquicentennial and the great heritage and traditions of MSU, we have a responsibility to provide generations to come with the support, quality, and opportunities they, too, deserve as part of the grand saga of this pioneering university,� Lou Anna Simon said. �Our fund-raising theme calls us to �Advance Knowledge. Transform Lives.� Philanthropy, now more than ever, plays an essential role in that mandate.�
More students now will benefit from these important scholarships, making music education more accessible to a broader group of students, Roy Simon, MSU director of Telecommunications and Transportation Systems said.
�The current facility for the School of Music is outdated and inadequate to support the academic program, which includes a substantial outreach component for the citizens in the state of Michigan,� he said. �The new facility will have a great impact on the experience that music majors and non-majors alike will have at MSU in the future.�
Gifts like these are essential to the success of The Campaign for MSU, as the university raises funds to grow MSU�s endowment and sustain its excellence, said Charles Webb, vice president for University Development.
�New facilities and endowed scholarships ensure the recruitment and retention of outstanding students and faculty,� Webb said.
The Simons� giving history goes back to 1970, and their ongoing commitment to MSU is felt in many areas. Their major giving areas over the years also include the Wharton Center for Performing Arts, WKAR-Radio and various athletic areas.
The Jazz Studies Program within the School of Music is of special interest for Roy Simon. Early in his career at MSU, he began his undergraduate studies as a music theory, composition and conducting major. He now serves on the School of Music�s advisory board.
�The exceptionally generous gift of Dr. Lou Anna and Dr. Roy Simon to the School of Music is a testament to their desire to ensure access and excellence,� School of Music Director James Forger said. �Their significant continuing support of the Simon Scholarship Fund will support talented and worthy students who might not otherwise be able to enroll at MSU.�
The Jazz Studies Program comprises nationally and internationally renowned faculty members, drawn directly from the highest ranks of the international jazz community. All faculty members have the experience of performing with top-notch recording and performing artists in jazz and the music industry. The program creates an environment conducive to the development of the next generation of jazz musicians through blues-based improvisation, bebop, swing, blues and soul music.