James R. and Zoe E. Connor
College of Arts & Communication Scholarship

Established by Chancellor Emeritus and Mrs. Connor, this fund recognizes excellence in each of the College's departments.  Scholarships will rotate among the college's Art, Communication, Music, and Theatre/Dance departments; in addition to their academic profile, eligible students will be judged on their campus involvement and community service.
 
Dr. James Connor took office as Chancellor in 1974, promptly taking the much-remembered symbolic action of tearing down a chain link fence built across the campus for possible crowd control during the Vietnam War era. He was actively involved in the interests of both students and faculty, and more students graduated during his chancellorship than in the university’s entire previous history.

Dr. Connor, a staunch supporter of the arts throughout his career, forged the public/private partnership that made the Young Auditorium possible. He worked diligently to guide the project through its planning and approval stages, culminating in a groundbreaking shortly before his retirement in 1991.

He then became executive director of the James S. Kemper Foundation of Long Grove, Illinois, which provides students with both scholarships and practical business experience in its offices. Active philanthropists, Dr. and Mrs. Connor have established many scholarships at the university and in the Whitewater community.

The James R. and Zoe E. Connor College of Arts and Communication Scholarship will rotate among the college’s Art, Communication, Music, and Theatre/Dance departments. In addition to their academic profile, eligible students will be judged on their campus involvement and community service.