Press Release
The Music School of Delaware Receives $10 Million Donation to Fund Scholarships
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January 10, 2022, Wilmington, DE – The Music School of Delaware Board of Directors announces with gratitude the largest gift in the School’s history. It is the beneficiary of $10 million from a Trust established by Mary Ellen Northrop.
The gift will establish the Mary Ellen Northrop Endowed Fund for Music Education providing scholarships to qualifying students. The fund will complement the school’s current financial aid program enabling it to reach a much wider audience.
Ms. Northrop had a deep love of music. Over the years, she participated in music programs at local churches, playing clarinet solos and singing in the choir. By including the Music School as one of the beneficiaries of the Trust, she ensured that others would be able to share her joy for years to come.
Pre-school through high school students studying early childhood music, band, or orchestral instruments are eligible to apply, as well as students of piano, organ, and voice. Families must demonstrate financial need based on criteria established by the trust. Assistance is limited to two years per student.
“This magnanimous gift will enable the Music School to extend its standard-setting individual and group instruction to families who otherwise could not participate,” said President and CEO Kate Ransom. “We are so grateful to Mary Ellen Northrop for leaving a legacy that will make a profound difference in the lives of young musicians in Delaware”.
About The Music School of Delaware
Founded in 1924, The Music School of Delaware is the only nationally accredited statewide community music school in the country, with branch locations in Wilmington and Milford, and satellite locations throughout the state, offering standard-setting instructional programs for all ages and abilities.
About Mary Ellen Northrop
Mary Ellen Northrop, 78, died on June 29, 2021, at her home in Wilmington, DE. She was born in Westfield, NY, and grew up in Ripley, NY, where her family managed a large fruit, grape, and dairy operation. She received her A.B. degree, cum laude, from Syracuse University in 1965 and received her M.L.S. degree from Rutgers University in 1966. She received her M.B.A degree in finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1976. Mary Ellen was a reference librarian at the University of Iowa and Douglass College of Rutgers University, and a supervisor of the technical services department at Plainfield (NJ) Public Library. She was a budget analyst at the Erie, PA General Electric Company and a financial analyst and income tax analyst at the DuPont Company.
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This organization is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.
The Music School of Delaware is proud to be an active partner in the IN Wilmington Arts Campaign.
The Music School of Delaware is proud to be an active partner in the IN Wilmington Arts Campaign.
