Friends of the Family

The Scheidt Family was instrumental in making the new Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center (SFPAC) a reality. With a legacy as impressive as Rudi and Honey Scheidt, it is no surprise that their philanthropy and passion for arts and music in Memphis, especially at the University of Memphis, inspired others to follow in their footsteps.

Memphis developer Bill Townsend grew up just feet away from Central Avenue, which happens to also be the address of the SFPAC. His father, one of the football coaches at then-Memphis State University, hauled the family to Memphis from Indiana. They settled at the corner of Deloach and Central, where the Fogelman College of Business & Economics is today.

After starting first grade at Campus School, Townsend quickly fell in love with the UofM campus and recognized early on the importance of music at the University.

“After school, I would walk home in the fall and sit down and watch the marching band practice,” Townsend said.

The family was first introduced to the Scheidts through Townsend’s brother, who was good friends with Rudi Scheidt Jr. going back to their time together at White Station Junior High.

When Townsend learned of the grand opening gala for the SFPAC, he purchased several tickets because he wanted to support the Scheidts.

During the event, he was compelled to make a gift to support the center. Townsend wanted to use his philanthropy to celebrate one of the people who, “had a strong educational impact on him as a child,” and helped foster his admiration for music. He purchased a concert piano for the Performing Arts Center in honor of Ms. Anderson, his third-grade teacher at Campus School.

“She was the teacher that had the guinea pigs and a pet fish in the classroom,” Townsend said. “She was so warm. You could tell she loved kids and she loved teaching. Our class was very artistic and there was a lot of music. It was really a joyful environment. That’s the best way to describe it.”

Because pianos can’t be wheeled across Central between practices and performances, the concert piano was one of the greatest needs for the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. Its high-quality sound will enhance the experience of performances in the concert hall and give students the opportunity to perform on a world-class instrument.

Townsend wasn’t the only friend of the family inspired to support the SFPAC after attending the opening gala. Two of Rudi and Honey Scheidt’s other children, Susan Arney and Helen Gronauer, were the connection between the Presley family and the School of Music.

The Presleys’ family history with the UofM runs deep, as Clay Presley is a third-generation Tiger.

“My grandmother graduated from the nursing school, my parents went to MSU in the 1980s, I graduated in 2009 and played football while I was there,” Presley said. “It’s the school our family has always gone to.”

The family often uses their company name, SouthWorth Capital Management, but this gift was personal for them because of their friendship with the Scheidts, according to Clay. From that relationship came the Presley Family Practice Room.

“We liked the idea of giving students a safe space to practice and hone their craft while developing their skills,” Presley said. “To have a little small part in that is very cool for us.”

Robert and Liz Ann Dinkelspiel had already been long-time supporters of the UofM when they received an exclusive invitation to a dinner at then-UofM President Shirley Raines’ home.

“We entered the room and there were some heavy hitters there,” Robert said. “We looked at each other and said, ‘How did we get here?'"

Among the attendees were Rudi and Honey Scheidt. Shortly after that dinner, the Dinkelspiels began to develop a mutual interest with the Scheidts in the UofM’s School of Music.

“We knew about their interest in music, and after we came to a few concerts and got involved, we realized this School is a gem,” Robert said. “It is the centerpiece, in our opinion, for music in Memphis and this area.”

Years later, the couple learned about the SFPAC and made the decision to expand their initial investments. Their gift will be used to fund the center’s most urgent needs, including technology, equipment and faculty support.

It is the Dinkelspiels’ hope that the SFPAC will be a recruiting tool to help students choose the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music over other options. A portion of their support will be used for Strike a Chord, an instrument-borrowing fund created by the Scheidt Family to support students who may not be able to afford an instrument of their own.

For generations to come, musicians and performers alike will have the opportunity to perform on the main stage in the SFPAC, named after the Dinkelspiels. Although initially shying away from the opportunity to highlight their family’s philanthropy through the naming of the Dinkelspiel Main Stage, they understood the importance of sharing their inspirational story with others.

With the Scheidt family serving as the connection, Townsend, the Presleys and the Dinkelspiels each found their own deeper motivation to give to the SFPAC and the School Music School.

“We believe in the importance of offering this type of performance arts education,” Presley said. “We want Memphis to be a successful city and if you want Memphis to grow, you have to invest in it. The University of Memphis is a great way to do that.”

Townsend is following in the Scheidts’ footsteps by encouraging his network of friends to also support the UofM.

“I hope other people in Memphis see what an asset the University is,” Townsend said. “It is important for everyone, regardless of where you attended college, to support the UofM because the University makes Memphis better, for all of us.”