Transforming Lives: Giving in Action

Here are a few examples of how private giving has helped the Clarice Smith Center continue to serve the university, the greater community and the state of Maryland.

Scholarships

The Mighty Sound of Maryland Marching Band is renowned for giving UM students a college experience like no other — performing at every home football game, traveling to at least one away game per year and creating the loudest and most dedicated Terrapin cheering section anywhere. Perhaps more importantly, it is an experience that forges lifelong bonds of friendship, and even leads to marriage.

That was certainly the case for Eirik and Brenda Cooper, who met in the saxophone section of the band in 1991 and were married at the University of Maryland Chapel just yards from where they first met, surrounded by many fellow Terps including the best man, two bridesmaids and of course the musicians. Read more...

See also...
The Friedgen Family Scholarship in Theatre

Faculty Support

Dr. Sam Steppel created a lasting tribute to his wife, Barbara, with the Barbara K. Steppel Memorial Faculty Fellowship in Cello.

"Ever since the Clarice Smith Center opened we started going there regularly," says Dr. Steppel. "In all honesty, we were a little envious of the students today because nothing like that existed when we were there - the quality and range of the programming is exceptional." Read more...

For more information, please contact:
Ed Lewis
Associate Director of Development
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
Suite 3800, University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-1625
301-405-8178
301-405-5977 (fax)
E-mail