Allen Brickhaus Scholarship Honors Memory of Devoted Music Teacher
A new memorial scholarship has been established by Kathy Brickhaus in honor of her late husband Allen Brickhaus with the Southeastern Illinois College Foundation in recognition of his dedication as a band and choir director and teacher.
The Allen Brickhaus Memorial Scholarship will be an annual gift valued at $500. Funds from this scholarship will help pay for tuition, fees and books for a Pope County High School or Massac County High School graduate with a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average who enrolls at SIC full time and is registered in at least one music course. The student must major in education and demonstrate the characteristics of good citizenship.
“Education and music have long been highly regarded by the Brickhaus family,” said Kathy Brickhaus. “It is our hope and desire that a good education and the love of music will be fostered so that those aspirations may be passed on to future generations through caring educators.”
Allen Brickhaus graduated from Southeast Missouri University (SEMO) with his Bachelor of Music Education in June of 1969. He also achieved a Master of Music Education in 1976. While at SEMO, Allen Brickhaus was a member of the Golden Eagles Marching Band and elected officer within Phi Mu Alpha, the professional music fraternity.
After beginning his teaching career as a band and choir director at Woodland R-4 in Marble Hill, Missouri in August of 1969, Allen Brickhaus entered the military on Jan. 17, 1971 and served with the 399th US Army Band at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri from January 1971 until reassignment a year later. He was assigned to be a senior level trombone player at the 82nd US Army Band in Stuttgart, Germany.
Exiting the military service in January 1974, he entered SEMO to work on his master’s degree. In August of 1974, he returned to teaching at Pope County School District. During the 23 years working there, his duties revolved around rehearsals and performances of the parade, concert, pep and rock bands plus choral groups including a concert and a swing choir. In August of 1997, Allen Brickhaus accepted the position of band and choir director at Massac County High School and retired June 12, 2003 from Massac County High School in Metropolis, IL with credit for 34 years of teaching.
After retirement, Allen continued to work regularly as a substitute teacher in many local school districts. In addition, he performed with the Southeastern Illinois Community Choir, St. Paul Lutheran Church choir, and the Temple Aires, an eighteen-piece “Big Band” which performs for fundraisers.
“It is evident that education, particularly his music education, played an important role in Allen’s career path and his personal life,” said Kathy Brickhaus. “The Brickhaus family has long regarded the value of a good education, hard work, and self-discipline, as well as the joy of music, and it is our hope that those aspirations will be proffered to young learners through this scholarship.”
SIC President, Dr. Jonah Rice said, “Allen was a great advocate for music and education. This scholarship is very fitting for him and we are so grateful that students who share his interests can help Allen’s memory live on.”
The application deadline for scholarships is Feb. 28. All scholarship forms – including both printable and online applications – are available on the SIC website at www.sic.edu/scholarships. For additional information, contact the Financial Aid office at 618-252-5400 ext. 4110 or fao@sic.edu. For more information about the Allen Brickhaus Memorial scholarship, contact Melody Bryant at 618-252-5400 ext. 2106.
Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg with an extension center in Carmi was founded in 1960 and ranks sixth in the state for degree and certificate completion, offering more than 100 degree and certificate programs. SIC boasts one of the lowest tuition rates in the region, offering online classes, dual credit for local high schools, accelerated courses, night classes and community education opportunities. With 4,500 full or part-time students per year and more than 250 employees, SIC is a top employer in Southern Illinois.
###