History of the Kent State University Orchestra Society
In 1971, two Kent community leaders, the Reverend Lloyd O’Keefe and Benjamin Frost, and two Kent State University professors, Benjamin McGinnis and Leopold Sipe, began to explore the possibility of forming an orchestra society to benefit the Kent State University Orchestra. Long interested in civic affairs, Reverend O’Keefe was pastor of the local Episcopal Church and Frost was an executive with the Evenflo Company of Ravenna, Ohio. This project was also seen as a way to heal town-gown relations after the shootings of May 4, 1970.
Professor Sipe, director of Kent’s Sinfonia, as the orchestra was then called, was intent on finding ways to increase local support for the orchestra’s activities, as was McGinnis, a University vice president. The two joined O’Keefe and Frost in developing a concept for a community association, similar to a professional orchestra board, which would have as its primary mission the raising of funds to support scholarships for orchestra musicians. In a dedicated University/community effort, many local residents embraced the idea and helped to propel it forward. In 1972, with Benjamin McGinnis as its founding president, the Kent State University Orchestra Society was born.
Sipe, who retired from the University in 1980, died in 1992. To honor his contributions, the Orchestra Society now presents an annual award in his name to a musician selected by the director and the recipient’s peers. McGinnis, who died in 1987, is remembered through an endowed Benjamin G. McGinnis Concertmaster Chair, created through the generous gifts of McGinnis’ wife, Marie, and the Society. Rev. O’Keefe is now honored through an annual scholarship in his name.
The Society continued for 24 years under the skilled leadership of McGinnis’ successor, Maryalice Seaholts. From 2009 to 2023 her successor, Dr. Larry Andrews, presided over the 26-member Board of Directors, and the current president, Jean Druesedow, has overseen a reorganization that spreads responsibilities more widely among board members. The Orchestra Society’s vital partnership with the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music is rare nationally.
The Society’s effective fundraising has enabled many student orchestra members to receive scholarship assistance. Major revenue comes from the annual gala, the Evening with the Orchestra, and from donors of named scholarships. The Orchestra Society’s funding can be granted to non-music majors. Since the Society can help deserving students with expenses other than tuition, the scholarships often make the difference in whether or not a student chooses Kent State University and the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music. Recruiting scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate students were initiated for the 2024-2025 academic year.
The Orchestra Society’s donor program, which gives donors the satisfaction of assisting a worthwhile cause while receiving the recognition and appreciation of the School of Music, comprises five levels of donor recognition.
Today, thanks to the tireless efforts of its board members and officers, the Kent State University Orchestra Society has become a well-known philanthropic organization in the area. The goodwill generated by its activities, and its assistance to the School of Music, are integral to the success and growth of the Kent State University Orchestra.