Wynett Barnett scholarship receives $100,000 in new funds
Released: March 4, 2008
The award-winning theatre/dance department at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has gotten a boost thanks to a recent gift from the estate of J. William Schmitz. The $100,000 gift provides new funds for the Wynett Barnett Scholarship.
Schmitz, a Milwaukee native, graduated from UW-Whitewater in 1963 with a major in speech. During his college years, Schmitz became involved with theatre production, an interest that continued throughout his life. While Schmitz wasn't the lead in major productions, he worked behind-the-scenes building sets and running lights.
After graduation, Schmitz served as a librarian in the Lake Geneva school system until he decided to continue his education and received a master's degree at the University of Oregon. Schmitz retired in 2002 after working in Washington as a librarian.
Close friends share that theatre meant a great deal to him when he was at UW-Whitewater, and he wanted to give back to the program. The $100,000 estate gift was declared in his will before his death in 2007.
"This estate gift is a significant addition to the scholarship and will greatly impact students," said Megan Matthews, the director of advancement for the College of Arts and Communication. "Planned gifts can make a difference."
The Wynett Barnett Scholarship endowment was established in 1980 by Professor Emeritus Stephen Lewandowski, a retired UW-Whitewater mathematics instructor and devoted follower of the arts. Wynett Barnett was the first woman on the UW-Whitewater faculty to hold a doctoral degree. During her 25-year career on campus, Barnett served as the first dean of women, first speech teacher and director of drama, and the chair of the speech department. Barnett was devoted to speech and theatre, and many programs were established under her.
"J. William Schmitz's gift will benefit theatre/dance majors for years to come and will assist UW-Whitewater's College of Arts and Communication in attracting talented students to its award winning theatre and dance program," said Dick Haven, interim Dean of the College of Arts and Communication.
For more information visit http://www.uww.edu/cac/advancement/scholarships/barnett.html or contact Megan Matthews at 262-472-5564.
- University Marketing and Media Relations staff,ummr@uww.edu
