The 2021 Betty Hemmert Scholarship
Betty Hemmert, a charter member of the Mills Brothers Scholarship Committee, was an accomplished pianist and a talented voice teacher. She first came to Piqua in 1945 to teach music at Wilder Junior High School and Piqua Central High School. After her marriage to Piquad, Fritz Hemmert, she began to teach piano privately while rearing their five children: Terri, Rick, Bill, Julie and Joanie (now deceased)
Hemmert was organist and choir director for several churches in the area, and she directed the quartet at the Jewish Temple. She was the founder and director of the Piqua Community Chorus, was organist for hundreds for weddings, and acted as musical director for Piqua Players. Hemmert was also director of two different groups who entertained at different community functions: the Skylarks, a girls vocal ensemble in the 1940’s; and the Silhouettes, a girl’s trio in the 1970’s.
Although she had been teaching a few private voice lessons for many years, by the late 1970’s Hemmert’s teaching load began to increase, and from 1985 until her retirement in 1999, she was teaching as many as 30 students a year from both Piqua and Lehman Catholic High Schools. Her students were highly successful in Ohio Music Education Association contests and on the high school stage. She was a volunteer vocal coach and accompanist for Lehman’s musicals from 1979 until she retired.
This scholarship is intended to be presented to a resident in the City of Piqua who is currently a high school senior seeking enrollment in an accredited college or other post high school institution. The student is required to reside in the 45356-zip code upon high school graduation. The student must show that he or she has made a significant contribution to the performing arts during their high school years. They should demonstrate that during the four years spent in high school that they had a musical achievement, were committed to various high school musicals or served on the musical committees.
For more information and to obtain a scholarship application form, please contact your guidance counselor, the Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce at 937-773-2765 or email [email protected] . Applications may also be downloaded from the link below.
The deadline for the application and letters of recommendation to be turned in to the Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce, 326 N. Main Street, is 4:00pm on March 26, 2021.
