Dr. H. Jonathan Greenwald
Dr. H. Jonathan Greenwald made his mark on Western Connecticut State University the moment he stepped foot on campus back in 1959. He helped create the university’s Humanistic Studies program and chaired the philosophy department. A violin made in Germany that belonged to Greenwald is a permanent part of the university’s music department and is a “community” violin used by musicians at university performances.
In 2009, the university once again benefited from Greenwald’s generosity. Nearly two years after his death, the university received more than $220,000 to set up the “H. Jonathan Greenwald and Dorothy Greenwald Scholarship Fund.” The fund specifically provides scholarships for students in the music program.
“In these times of financial challenge, the scholarships that Professor Greenwald’s generosity makes possible are especially important,” said university President James W. Schmotter. “His is a lasting legacy that we will remember at every concert and performance by our talented music students.”
Born in 1915, Greenwald, who grew up in Missouri, served in World War II after joining the U.S. Army Air Corps as a radio and radar operator. He once looked forward to a career as a violinist; but after breaking his fingers playing football, he headed in a different direction. He earned his undergraduate degree from University of Kansas, a master’s degree in education from University of Vermont and a doctorate in psychology and education from Harvard University. He began a career as a freelance photographer and then began teaching at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1954, where he was a chairman of art education. Before coming to WestConn, he worked for the state of Rhode Island as an art consultant. He retired from the university in 1985 and continued his passion for photography and traveled widely in Europe and exhibited in galleries in Connecticut. His wife Dorothy was also devoted to music.
