Music runs deep in the lives of Suzanne and David Hoover. In his youth, David played drums in a band and his sister took piano lessons. But Suzanne’s family in particular has strong musical ties.
“Both my mother’s parents were musicians and when my mother was in college as a music major, my grandfather also went to college and got his degree in music education,” recalls Suzanne. “Music was a big deal in my family.”
CU Boulder has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the Hoovers, who endowed the College of Music’s Trying on Teaching program (TOT)—a collaborative experience among students participating in the Middle School Ensemble program, high school students interested in a future career in music teaching and CU Boulder music education majors.
“We chose to make education our main philanthropic focus, so when we became aware of the expansion of the Imig Music Building, we decided to include it in our more recent broader giving to the university,” says Suzanne.
As music lovers, the Hoovers are also drawn to College of Music events and believe the college is uniquely responsible for much of the exceptional music in Boulder.
“We’ve always enjoyed the contributions of music and the arts in our community through university programs,” adds David. “We’ve taken advantage of these opportunities our whole lives, so they’re very important to us.”
Having served on the College of Music Advisory Board from 2000-2015, Suzanne was well-positioned to understand the needs of the college—including the demand for more space.
“Because of Suzanne’s involvement on the board and our attending performances—including a few plays in the smaller spaces—you could really see the need,” David explains.
“We have an excellent school of music and if you want it to stay that way, you need to have the facilities for it,” adds Suzanne. “When the college made plans to expand, it wasn’t a stretch for us to be supportive of it.”
Long-time supporters of the university in various capacities, the Hoovers also currently serve on the School of Education’s Development Advisory Board and the Center for Western Civilization, Thought and Policy Advisory Board.
