FOR THE GAZETTE

STEVENS POINT — An additional gift from the Copernicus Cultural Foundation of Stevens Point will fund the first $1 million endowed professorship in the College of Fine Arts and Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

The gift, from the foundation founded by notable Stevens Point businessman Edmund Bukolt, will fund an endowed professorship in the Department of Music for cello and music education advocacy. The group’s initial gift in 2021 funded a faculty fellowship.

The search for a full-time endowed teaching position will begin soon. In a separate gift, the foundation funded a $50,000 endowment for music scholarships.

“These gifts are transformational for our Music Department, our students and our community,” said Chancellor Thomas Gibson. “It is an honor for UW-Stevens Point to ensure that Edmund Bukolt’s legacy and contributions to the arts in central Wisconsin will support music education for years to come.”

The estate of Edmund Bukolt and his wife, Kathryn, previously created two scholarship endowments in the college, one in music and another in dance.

“I’m thrilled for the college to have its first $1 million endowed professorship,” said Valerie Cisler, dean of the college. “We are grateful to the Bukolt family for their generous support over several decades. These new gifts will help more UWSP cello and music education students reach their goals and share their love of music as teachers across the state and beyond.”

Bukolt was president of the former Lullabye Furniture Company. He collected valuable instruments with impressive pedigrees that were used for many years by UW-Stevens Point string faculty members, who also performed with them as part of the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra. Bukolt played violin with CWSO along with several other regional symphony orchestras. He died in 1964.

The UW-Stevens Point Music Department has long been recognized for its academic strength and extensive community engagement through performances and educational opportunities. It has been nationally accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music since 1968 and offers a variety of programs for both undergraduate and graduate students. Music education students have 100 percent placement in K-12 positions throughout the state and region.