By the Numbers
56 — Music majors at Wittenberg University
59 — Music minors at Wittenberg Univeristy
$2.6 million — The scholarship donation of Lois Hagelberger Huebner to the music department
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A former student has donated $2.6 million from her estate to Wittenberg University, the largest gift ever for the music program at the Springfield school.
Lois Hagelberger Huebner, who died recently at the age of 107, donated the money to be used for scholarships for music students.
“That is huge in the life of this institution,” Wittenberg interim President Dick Helton said.
Wittenberg has about 475 employees and an estimated $70 million economic impact on Springfield. The donation by Huebner follows $9.1 million the school raised during an aggressive fundraising campaign this past year.
The university announced the donation Wednesday after the sum went through the proper courts. The money will be used to give out scholarships to students who show the most promise during auditions and is immediately available, Wittenberg University Music Department Chair Christopher Durrenberger said.
“Education of music is part of our core values,” Durrenberger said. “It has become a core value by our national government and they will be hiring more music educators for years to come.
“Regardless of whether or not (a student) majors in music, raising the level of music students, which this (scholarship) is going to do, will increase the music making on our campus and I personally think this is what makes us human — to be able to express things in the arts.”
Durrenberger said the scholarship money will be distributed to the most deserving students who show the most musical promise — regardless whether they are vocal or instrumental musicians. Because of other pre-existing scholarships available, he said it’s now likely that all music students would get some scholarship money.
The school currently has 56 students majoring and 59 minoring in music.
Huebner spent two years at Wittenberg in the 1920s studying music. She left without graduating but sent a note to the school shortly after saying, “there’s no better school with better music instructors than Wittenberg’s School of Music.”
“We are very pleased that (she) felt so good about Wittenberg University that she left us $2.6 million,” Helton said.
The music department at Wittenberg is top notch, Helton said, and he hopes the scholarship will continue to promote the school all over the world.
He said the scholarship monies “will help us grow an already outstanding program.”
Wittenberg has its the largest freshmen class in nearly a decade this year, with 615 students enrolling in the school for the fall semester. Helton and Durrenberger said they believe the music program at Wittenberg allows the institute to educate students and help them become well-rounded.
Huebner is an Anna native who went on to perform as an organist at the Schine Organ Theater in Sidney and other venues, including the state fair.
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