Sheila C. Johnson, UI alumna, entrepreneur, philanthropist, musician and longtime patron of the arts, is donating $4 million to endow two chairs in the UI School of Music.
The gift, the largest endowment ever received by the School of Music, will create the Daniel J. Perrino Chair of Jazz Studies and the Susan Starrett Chair in Violin. Perrino and Starrett were mentors to Johnson while she was a student. Perrino is an emeritus UI music professor and administrator known for his role as leader of the popular “Medicare 7, 8 or 9” jazz band. Starrett, a 1962 alumna of the music school, was Johnson’s high school teacher who, according to an interview published in Illinois Alumni magazine in 2004, inspired Johnson to practice her violin and, in general, encouraged her “to be the best I could be.”
Johnson, a 1970 music education graduate and accomplished violinist and conductor, is CEO of Salamander Hospitality LLC, and a founding partner of BET (Black Entertainment Television). As president and managing partner of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and a partner in Lincoln Holdings LLC, Johnson is the first woman to have a stake in three professional sports teams, including the Washington Wizards (NBA) and the Washington Capitals (NHL).
A dedicated activist, she serves as a global ambassador for CARE, which is charged with fighting world poverty. Her focus with that organization is building solidarity and empowering women and girls to become catalysts for change in their communities. Johnson serves as chairman of the Board of Governors of Parsons The New School for Design and sits on the boards of VH1 Save the Music, Americans for the Arts, and the Curry School of Education Foundation at the University of Virginia.
She established the Sheila C. Johnson Performing Arts Center at the Hill School in Middleburg, Va., and has supported Strings for Schools in Philadelphia, Urban Gateways in Chicago and The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts in Virginia. Currently, Johnson is creating and championing films with a humanitarian message. Her latest film, “A Powerful Noise,” premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.
The UI Alumni Association honored Johnson with an Alumni Achievement Award on May 9.
“Sheila Johnson is one of the University of Illinois’ most distinguished alumni,” said UI President B. Joseph White. “Her extraordinary gift to support music and recognize her two beloved mentors demonstrates her generous spirit and deep commitment to the university. I am extremely grateful for her personal involvement with the university, her gift, and most important, her friendship.”
“Sheila’s decision to honor two people who mentored her at Illinois … is a living tribute to our mission of molding the leaders of every generation,” said Chancellor Richard Herman. “She has shared with us many fond stories from her time as a student here, and our hope is that her gift will ensure that future generations of students in our School of Music will leave Illinois with the memories of a great experience, as well as the knowledge and drive to follow Sheila’s footsteps and become a positive force for change in their world.”
“The arts, especially music, are crucial for young people’s development,” Johnson said. “Music teaches communication skills and focus, develops self-esteem, discipline and curiosity. Music provides a solid building block for success in the rest of a musicianís life. We need committed, talented teachers to pass on the gift of music to our students, and I am thrilled to be able to honor my mentors Daniel J. Perrino and Susan Starrett with these two chairs, passing on their legacy of inspiration to generations of music students to come.”
