Alumni/Donors: Donor Listing

Articles about Major Gifts from Alumni and Friends

View Donors from 2003 - 2004 season | View Donors from 2002-2003 season

View donors from 2001-2002 season

Withrows Pledge $150,000 for New Building, Excellence in Teaching Award

Longtime MSU supporters Jack and Dottie Withrow, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, have committed $150,000 to the College of Music. Lovers of music and the arts, the Withrows will provide a $100,000 gift to name the Green Room in the new College of Music building. In addition, they will provide a $50,000 endowment for an Excellence in Teaching Award.

The Withrows chose to fund the Green Room, which will be located next to the performance venues in the new building and serve as a focal point for faculty, student, guest artists, and pre- and post-concert events. The Withrows have felt for some time that the College of Music—with its far-reaching education, performance, and outreach missions—is the front door of the university. They wanted to help MSU provide a worthy and fitting home for the school that is consistent with the quality of its programs, performing ensembles, and renowned faculty. The Excellence in Teaching Award will be made annually by the College of Music and will be funded by the Dortha J. and John D. Withrow Endowed Fund for Excellence in Teaching. The award will honor College of Music faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding ability and achievement in instructional, performance, and/or scholarly activities while at MSU.

“We should be recognizing teachers, especially those who are student-focused, for their efforts in bringing our students along in a way that makes the university proud,” Dottie says.

Dottie graduated from MSU in 1955 with a B.A. in education. Jack graduated from MSU in 1954 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering, and then an M.B.A. in 1971. They have provided financial support to many MSU programs.

“Our approach toward giving to MSU is very eclectic,” Dottie says, noting that she and her husband have provided support to the colleges of business, engineering, and education, along with programs in horticulture and music. “We give according to how our interests evolve over the years, and then share those interests with the university.”

In 1999, they commissioned world-renowned composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich to write a major work of music to pay tribute to MSU’s beautiful campus and gardens. In 2000, the MSU Symphony Orchestra and Children’s Choir premiered the work, called Symphony No. 4: The Gardens. “This project really opened our eyes to the school’s tremendous talent and programs, and its real need for a new building,” Dottie says. “The school affects so many students across campus and the community.”