Grace A. Prugger Music Scholarship Endowment

Grace Prugger
(1889-1977)

Grace Prugger was born in Whitewater in 1889.  She attended high school in Lewiston, Idaho and attended the University of Idaho for a year before returning to Wisconsin to earn her B.A. in music at Milwaukee’s Downer College.  Grace specialized in piano and voice.  In her early career, she owned a music studio in Chicago and resided in Oak Park.  Later in life, Grace moved to Fort Atkinson and then spent her final years in Whitewater.

Grace was often seen in the recital hall and Hyer Auditorium enjoying musical events.  Though Grace passed away in 1977, her support for and interest in UW-Whitewater music lives on.  In her will, she left her estate to a trust to benefit her surviving siblings and provide for music scholarships.  The Grace A. Prugger Music Scholarship Endowment was created in 1978. 

Grace A. Prugger Music Scholarships are awarded annually to students who demonstrate outstanding musicianship, potential for success in music, and good citizenship and character.  These scholarships have allowed Grace’s love of music and passion for education to live on in the many talented students who will benefit from her bequest.