Saturday, May 15, 2004

Citation Presented to Virginia Martin Howard

A Delta Omicron Certificate of Honor Citation was presented to Virginia Martin Howard on May 15, 2004 at her home in Pineville, Louisiana. Mrs. Howard received the Citation in recognition of her lifelong commitment to music through philanthropic support of musicians and musical performances, state and national musical institutions and projects, and musical research.

Dr. Jonny H. Ramsey, International President of Delta Omicron, presented the Citation on behalf of the Board of Directors. Also in attendance was Pineville resident Patricia B. Sandlin. Mrs. Sandlin is an alumnus of Omicron Mu chapter at Louisiana College.

The Citation recognized Mrs. Howard’s many local and national philanthropic contributions including:

• Assisting with the establishment of the Rapides Symphony Orchestra,

• Charter member of the Board of Directors and honorary life member of the Moravian Music Foundation,

• Charter member of the Friends of the Stearns Collection—one of the largest collections of musical instruments in the world stored at the University of Michigan. (She personally bought and paid for restoration of some of the instruments.),

• Endowment of the Virginia Martin Howard Lecture Series at the University of Michigan,

• Establishment of the Mark Eugene Howard Arts and Technology Seminar Fund at Michigan Tech University and the Mark Eugene Howard Endowed Professorship in Liberal Arts at Louisiana State University at Alexandria,

• Funding of teaching positions, scholarships, and school improvements at Louisiana State University at Alexandria,

• Commissioning the construction of a harpsichord for Northeastern Louisiana University in 1978,

• Providing initial funding to establish the Sonneck Society’s annual prize for the best American music dissertation,

• Sponsoring concerts for musicians through the Piatigorsky Foundation and the Virginia Martin Howard Foundation,

• Financial support to endow a chair at Carnegie Hall through the Delta Omicron Foundation.

Mrs. Howard has been a member of Delta Omicron since 1937. She served as Louisiana State Alumni Chair for the Fraternity in the 1950’s and 1960’s. She assisted with the organization of five collegiate chapters in Louisiana, Texas, and North Carolina (Omicron Beta, Omicron Delta, Omicron Epsilon, Omicron Mu, and Alpha Tau). She served as Chapter Adviser for Omicron Mu Chapter at Louisiana College (now inactive) for many years.

Mrs. Howard initiated the Virginia M. Howard Delta Omicron Scholarship at the Transylvania Music Camp in Brevard, North Carolina. She personally funded that scholarship for seventeen years from 1952 to 1972 before it was continued by the Delta Omicron Foundation beginning in 1973. Mrs. Howard received a Delta Omicron Citation at the 1968 Delta Omicron Triennial Convention in recognition of her establishment of that scholarship.

At the age of 88, Mrs. Howard still remains active in her interest of Moravian history, guiding the Virginia Martin Howard Foundation and assisting performing artists of the Piatigorsky Foundation.