Carl & Diane McManis Music Endowment

Eligibility: All
Area of Interest: Music

Criteria:

The recipients shall be pursuing a degree in Music.

I was born and raised in Buffalo, WY and was very fortunate to have a wonderful music school teacher who mentored me all the way through high school. I sang and played the flute in the band, and accompanied the chorus on piano. In 1950 Nebraska State Teachers College made a tour of Wyoming with their band and chorus and so impressed me that I gave up going to Wyoming University on a scholarship and went instead to Chadron. In 1951 I studied flute and piano and sang in the chorus. I also was a twirler with the marching band. I only attended for one year as I met and married Carl McManis who had just graduated and was the new coach at Chadron High School. He later coached at Gering High School and then left teaching to go into the sporting goods business. We moved to California with three children and I went back to college in Fullerton, CA and got my degree. I taught singing and music appreciation at the Brailee Institute for several years. In 1970 Carl founded Confidence Golf Co. and later International Sports Consultants and I worked with him in the business. Carl passed away in 2013, and I now reside in an independent living community in Litchfield Park, AZ. I still sing in their chorus and enjoy playing my piano. Both Carl and I treasured our time spent in Chadron and I hope you will make beautiful music there. Diane McManis