Macon Reporter

Dr. C. Kimm Hollis, a 1972 Millikin alumnus and retired department chair, Professor of Music, and Artist-in-Residence Emeritus at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana, as well as founding endower of the eponymous Hollis Prize at Millikin University, has donated his collection of announcements, programs, mementos, and other ephemera about the Hollis Prize to the University Archives.

Amanda Pippitt, Director and Associate Professor in the Library at Millikin, states that “Dr. Hollis’s gifts enrich the Archives’ collection and document and preserve the history of the Hollis Prize, his generous gifts to the University, and his own experience as a Millikin student.”

The collection is a distinctive contribution not only as a primary source for future research, but it rounds out the School of Music’s own records about the prize. In the words of Brian Justison, the Director of the School of Music:

“Kimm’s retrospective has assiduously recorded the first twenty years of this lauded event for generations to come.”

First awarded in 2003, the Hollis Prize is unique among undergraduate music competitions for its recital performance format and rigorous audition process. Students compete in a semi-final round for the chance to perform in front of a live audience for the final event. The winner receives a monetary award of $2,000 and an opportunity to perform a solo recital at the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Illinois. This award is the highest form of recognition given to a vocal or instrumental performer at Millikin University.

Past winners have gone on to perform with the Doc Severinsen Big Band, study in Yale University’s prestigious Opera Program, serve as President of the Illinois Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society, become private music instructors, develop curricula for musical education, and teach at Millikin University and the University of Illinois-Springfield, among other accomplishments.

Laura Ledford, Dean of the College of Fine Arts, noted the collection’s merits upon acceptance, saying it is “truly a testament to Dr. Hollis’s influence and commitment to the arts at Millikin. We’re enriched by his presence and support.”

More about the Hollis Prize, including a list of past winners, can be found at millikin.edu/hollis-prize.

Original source can be found here.