When Sheila Johnson arrived at the University of Illinois in 1966 with a scholarship to study music, she had already been the beneficiary of kind guidance and friendship from her violin teacher, Susan Starrett. Starrett made certain Sheila would continue to have personal support and a professional mentor by telephoning her friend, Dan Perrino, who directed the Illinois Youth Music Program and was the assistant dean of students at the University.

Both Starrett and Perrino played tremendously important roles in Sheila's life, and recently she honored them by endowing two chairs at the School of Music in each of their names. The Daniel J. Perrino Chair of Jazz Studies and the Susan Starrett Chair in Violin will allow the school to attract "the most talented and sought-after faculty in our two signature programs, strings and jazz studies," according to Director Karl Kramer.

"Our Hope is that her gift will ensure that future generations of students in our School of Music will leave Illinois with the memories of a great experience, as well as the knowledge and drive to follow Sheila's footsteps and become a positive force for change in their world," Chancellor Richard Herman added.

At the announcement, Johnson called Perrino a "dear, dear friend and a man of extraordinary character." Starrett, Johnson's orchestra director at Proviso East High School, and a University of Illinois graduate, was the first person to recognize Johnson's music talent. She encouraged her to play the violin and helped her win a scholarship to the University of Illinois.

When Johnson arrived at the University of Illinois, it was not a diverse campus. Prejudice was common and blacks were not served in local restaurants. Perrino and his wife, Marjorie, introduced her to other talented students and invited her to their home to give advice or visit. They have remained lifelong friends.

According to Johnson, Starrett was always there when she most needed guidance. "Other than my mother and brother, no one has been a greater constant in my life than Susan," she said.

As a violinist Johnson played for the Chicago Civic Symphony and with various string quartets. She taught music in New Jersey and in Washington, D.C. and formed the Young Strings in Action Orchestra that performed worldwide.