For a university, music and athletics bring people together. Luckily for the College of Music at Michigan State University, Chuck and Philippa Webb, Chuck and Coco McCallum, and the Doris Giddey Foundation united to make a generous gift in support of the Billman Music Pavilion which is recognized by the naming of the second floor.

The Webbs have been part of the College of Music community for decades. Chuck worked at MSU for over thirty years, retiring as vice president for advancement after leading the university through its first billion-dollar campaign. Philippa led a distinguished career in the MSU College of Education. Throughout that time and since their retirement, they have been regular attendees at music events as well as donors to the College.

Chuck McCallum spent time at MSU as the director of MSU athletics fundraising – then known as the Ralph Young Fund – before a successful career at the Michigan Osteopathic College Foundation. And given Coco McCallum’s love for jazz, it was easy to get her on board with supporting the College.

Chuck Webb and Chuck McCallum met at MSU, and it was there in the 1970s that they met Doris Giddey, the daughter of a paper company owner in Detroit. Giddey, according to McCallum, was known for her philanthropy to several institutions including Henry Ford Hospital, Wayne State University, and MSU. Before she passed away in 1982, she asked Webb and McCallum to serve as executors of her estate.

“Doris Giddey was a very thoughtful and giving person. Her heart was in the right place,” McCallum said. “She had a love for students and the university and what it stands for, as well as the heritage of the university from a land-grant standpoint. This gift reflects her values.”

Since her passing, Webb and McCallum have been able to fulfill Doris Giddey’s wishes, resulting in significant annual support to MSU and other institutions. Knowing the importance of music to a university and society in general, they decided to contribute to the new pavilion in support of music students at MSU.

“Doris always enjoyed her visits to campus and attending musical performances,” Webb said. “Music was a love of hers, so we thought that she would appreciate supporting such an important and high priority project.”

The second floor of the Billman Music Pavilion held interest for the donors for a couple of reasons. It is the location of new faculty offices for the directors of band, jazz, and orchestra, serving as a hub of interaction between faculty and students. The floor also features the student study mezzanine and unique observation windows into three of the new rehearsal halls.

“We didn’t know at the time of making the gift that the faculty, staff, and retirees of the College of Music chose to direct their collective gifts to a study mezzanine for students, equipped with technology hookups, on the second floor,” Webb said. “That, to us, speaks volumes of the high caliber and quality faculty and staff that we have and their willingness to dedicate their personal resources for this project.”

Beyond their charitable gifts, the Webbs remain involved in creating opportunities for students to gain valuable performance experience through the Beacon Hill Music Series. For them, a gift for the Billman Music Pavilion is, in part, a thank you.

“I think that we’ve been so enthralled with the music of Michigan State for such a long time and been involved in attending many events and performances that we felt that this was a good way to give back to that,” Philippa said.

The Webbs have also been concert sponsors over the past few years. Their admiration for MSU musicians is evident, and it extends to the leadership of the college as well.

“Music has always been a part of our lives, and during my 32 years on campus the Music faculty and students were always available, willing to do concerts, recitals, and special performances, and they did it with a cheerful spirit,” Chuck Webb said. “On top of that, knowing that Dean Jim Forger is a world-class leader, and knowing that the College of Music is a world-class college, just made the Billman Music Pavilion the right cause for us to get behind and support.”

Emphasizing the need the college had to improve practice facilities for students, Webb understands the big picture of the pavilion.

“We so desperately needed to take students out of small spaces and give them an outstanding experience,” he said. “The Billman Music Pavilion has greatly expanded the opportunities for us to retain students, both in Michigan and throughout the country, but also internationally, and give them a safe environment in which they can continue to flourish in their academic pursuits.”

For McCallum – who spent years working as a referee, including a stint in the National Football League – the need to support Music at MSU is clear, and doing so has been gratifying. Before the pandemic, he was able to visit the facility when it was nearing completion.

“It’s nice to get involved with the College of Music,” McCallum said. “It’s been very rewarding to be a contributor.”