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Baileys establish jazz studies scholarship

Nov. 19, 2006

KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University's former president Dr. Judith I. Bailey and her husband, Brendon, have established an endowed fund designed to provide scholarships for students in WMU's internationally renowned Jazz Studies Program.

The Judith I. Bailey and Brendon S. Bailey Scholarship will be funded through a permanent endowment established by Bailey and her husband with cash gifts. The endowment will activate when it reaches $25,000, and at least one scholarship will be awarded annually thereafter.

The amount of the scholarships and selection process will be in the hands of personnel in WMU's School of Music, but the Baileys outlined "talent as determined through the audition/interview process" as the trait upon which they would like scholarship recipients selected. Scholarship recipients will be eligible for renewal provided they remain in the Jazz Studies Program.

"Bren and I have become great fans of this wonderful program, and as we leave Kalamazoo, we wanted to do something that would help ensure its continuing success," Bailey said of the gift. "We'll watch the program now from afar, but always with great interest and wonderful memories of performances by incredibly talented students. We want the scholarship to help bring that same caliber of student to WMU for many years to come."

Bailey will begin a one-year appointment in January as a senior fellow with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. That Washington, D.C.-based organization represents more than 430 public colleges, universities and systems of education nationwide. She will work there on policy implications of the Spelling Commission Report.

Media contact: Cheryl Roland, (269) 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu

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