Opera House Endowment Fund

In November of 2000, the WCPM received a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to fund an endowment for the renovated 1885 Morhart Opera House. The conditions of the grant are that the WCPM will receive $275,000 if a three to one incremental match is completed. Thus the WCPM must raise $825,000 by July of 2004.

The WCPM met its commitments in July of 2001 and July of 2002, and to date has raised over $365,000. But it is "CRUNCH" time. Before the end of July 2004, the WCPM must raise $460,000 to fulfill the challenge. Contributions may be made by printing the pledge form on this web site, or mailingyour tax-deductible contribution directly to:

Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial and Educational Foundation
413 North Webster Street, Red Cloud, NE 68970

Contributors to the Opera House Endowment Fund continue to be recognized in variety of ways. The names of all contributors are place in a special recognition book. Names of donors of significant contributions are placed on the Donor Recognition Wall in the lobby of the Lucia Woods Lindley Auditorium.

"The hall was packed. It seemed as if every one in Moonstone was there, even Mrs. Kohler, in her hood, and old Fritz. The seats were wooden kitchen chairs, numbered, and nailed to long planks which held them together in rows. As the floor was not raised, the chairs were all on the same level. The more interested persons in the audience peered over the heads of the people in front of them to get a good view of the stage."
Cather's description of the Opera House auditorium in The Song of the Lark.