We are grateful for the support of our Varsity Men’s Glee Club alumni and friends that allow the club to continue providing outreach opportunities such as off-campus concerts, recruitment activities, and other philanthropic engagement, as well as travel opportunities. VMGC alumnus Howard Loveless (BS ’78 ACES) recently designated an estate gift which will ensure that future club members are able to appreciate the same impactful experiences that Howard enjoyed during his time at the University of Illinois. The diversity of majors that existed among the 70+ VMGC members from 1974–1978 did not impede the bond that club members forged. They came together to create music and share in camaraderie as they still do today. Howard is hopeful that with his gift, the camaraderie and musical experiences that VMGC provides will continue well into the future.
Howard remembers when the VMGC sang at his high school in rural Illinois. He knew then that this club was something he wanted to be part of and auditioned for William Olson when he started at Illinois as an Agricultural Science major in 1974. Howard traveled with VMGC on their European tour that brought the club through Switzerland, Western France, Italy, Slovenia, and Austria over a three-week period. “We sang six concerts in 21 days,” Howard recalled. This experience would instill a love of travel in Howard that only grew stronger with time. Howard’s gift will help support travel for VMGC so that future members have the opportunity to participate in similar impactful experiences.
“Having come from a small rural community, the Illinois Varsity Men’s Glee Club provided that sense of camaraderie and fellowship I needed while attending such a large university. It was a place where men of varied interests, cultures, and studies came together to share the common bond of loving to sing.
And the many travel experiences to sing under the direction of William Olson in concerts regionally and internationally have never been forgotten. The fond memories of these travels have reinforced my desire to contribute to the William Olson Travel fund so that future Glee Club members may be guaranteed similar experiences. Os-kee-wa-wa-ILLINOIS!”