Lee Edward Schroeder Endowed Scholarship
Lee Schroeder was born in 1899, and grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois. While he was a student in Elementary and Jr. High school, he sang in school choruses. With a strong interest in music, he played with both the concert band and the orchestra at Maine Township East High School. He and his wife, Estelle, had three children in the 1920s: Phyliss Estelle, Lee Edward and Carol Ann. He became interested in woodwinds in 1934 playing saxophone, clarinet, oboe, and flute. He played briefly under Hindemith in New Haven Symphony.
Mr. Schroeder spent several years in military service. He was in the Infantry during World War II, from 1945-46. He was also in the Korean War from 1951-52. He was First Lieutenant, and was stationed in Korea for 16 months.
After taking some time away from school to have children and serve in the military, Mr. Schroeder began attending the University of Michigan in the 1940s, receiving an AB in 1948, and an MA in 1949. While he was at the U. of M., he spent time studying private voice. Later, he attended Washington University, St. Louis in the early 1950s, and was a T.A. in Latin. During his time at W.U., he sang in a chorus, and at the opera theater, and continued studying voice with a private teacher. Despite his interest in music, it was mostly a hobby. All of his college academic study was in Liberal Arts, with major work in Classical Language and Literature, and Ancient History.
Mr. Schroeder began a 25-year teaching career in 1955 at Hanover College, and retired in 1988. During his time there, he taught Latin, Greek, Ancient History, World Literature, Art, and Music. He did some Graduate work at Indiana University during the 1960s, studying Comparative Literature and two Greek Language Seminars. While he was teaching at Hanover College, he sang in various choirs, and several festival choirs. During his education at IU, he regularly attended operas, concerts and recitals. Because of his deep love of opera, he has established a planned gift for Indiana University Jacobs School of Music to go towards the education of students pursuing a career in opera.