Puttin' Up the Bricks

Talk about romantic

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Gilbert Schnitzer added $1 million to his original pledge supporting the $17.8 million transformation of UO music facilities to memorialize his "lifelong love affair" with his wife, Thelma. The Portland couple earned bachelor’s degrees in 1940 from the university, Gilbert in business and Thelma in music.

News of the pair’s latest contribution, which followed the celebration of their sixty-eighth wedding anniversary, highlighted a ceremonial groundbreaking at the MarAbel B. Frohnmayer Music Building in November.

UO President Dave Frohnmayer said the building’s new performance wing will be named for Thelma, a pianist. The new academic wing will be named for Leona DeArmond, B.Mus.’51, to honor lead gifts from her and husband, Bob, a 1952 business graduate.

A total of $10.2 million in private contributions helped leverage the allocation of $7.6 million in bonds for construction by the Oregon Legislature. Lead donors include the DeArmonds, the Schnitzers, Lorry Lokey, and Kathleen Daugherty Richards Grubbe.