[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 148 (Monday, December 8, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1752]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE LIFE OF WILLIAM SCHEIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RUSH HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 8, 2014

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a great 
American citizen and a dear friend. William Scheide, of Princeton, New 
Jersey, passed away on November 14, 2014, at the age of 100. Bill was a 
humanitarian, a philanthropist and a supporter of civil rights who, 
although born into great wealth, was anything but indolent.
  Bill was born in Philadelphia on January 6, 1914, the only child of 
two musicians: John, a pianist, and Harriet, a singer. He developed a 
love for music early on, and that passion inspired him throughout his 
hundred years. Bill's family earned their fortune in oil when 
northwestern Pennsylvania was the center of the oil industry. His 
grandparents and parents began collecting books, and Bill developed 
that collection carefully, studiously, and energetically, and built it 
into one of the greatest collections of rare books and manuscripts in 
private hands anywhere in the world. Bill attended Princeton 
University, graduating with the class of 1936, and eventually gave his 
collection to his university. His collection is huge and hugely 
impressive, and includes an early fourteenth century manuscript of the 
Magna Carta; the first four Bibles printed; an original copy of the 
Declaration of Independence; the first four folios of Shakespeare; and 
musical manuscripts of Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Wagner, and Bill's 
beloved Johann Sebastian Bach. Today, the Scheide Library at Princeton 
continues to be a resource for Princeton students and faculty and for 
scholars around the world.
  In Princeton and throughout the country, Bill Scheide is synonymous 
with support for the arts--particularly music. He was a renowned 
pianist, organist, and oboist. After graduating from Princeton, Bill 
went on to earn a master's degree in music from Columbia and thereafter 
became one of the world's most renowned Bach scholars. He was the 
founding director of the Bach Aria Group, which performed and recorded 
over a period of more than three decades. He eventually returned to 
Princeton where he held regular concerts in his home, inviting guest 
musicians or even performing himself.
  Bill's impact on Princeton University stretches far beyond his 
library collection. Over the years, Bill's generosity has allowed 
hundreds of students to attend the university through the Scheide 
Scholars Program. His philanthropy also extended beyond the 
university's gates and into the Princeton community. Through Scheide 
Concerts, Bill brought to the community classical music performances by 
some of the world's most sought-after performers. He was an avid 
supporter of charitable organizations in the area, including Centurion 
Ministries, which works to free wrongly convicted individuals from 
prison, and Isles, a community development organization serving our 
capital city of Trenton. And far beyond central New Jersey, Bill's 
philanthropy changed the history of our nation. When a young lawyer 
named Thurgood Marshall asked him to support a case called Brown vs. 
Board of Education, Bill Scheide provided funding that allowed the 
NAACP Legal Defense Fund to pursue the case to its stupendous 
conclusion. He later served on the board of the Legal Defense Fund for 
nearly four decades. Here in Washington, at the Newseum, exhibits 
funded by Bill Scheide teach the public about freedoms guaranteed by 
the Constitution. He also served as a trustee of, and generous 
benefactor to, Westminster Choir College and Princeton Theological 
Seminary, both of which have buildings bearing his name.
  I had the pleasure of spending a great deal of time with Bill over 
the years. And while Bill will certainly be remembered for his generous 
charitable endeavors, I believe he will be remembered most by those who 
knew him for his intellect, his humility, and his generosity of spirit. 
He was thoughtful about his philanthropy and worked hard at it, and 
expected nothing in return. His happiness was found in watching the 
eyes of concertgoers or library visitors light up with joy, or seeing a 
new young leader emerge from Nassau Hall at Princeton commencement who 
was only able to attend the university because of the Scheide Scholars 
Program. He was so humble, in fact, that he asked the university to 
change the name of the Scheide Music Library to the Mendel Music 
Library, to honor another Princeton faculty member and renowned Bach 
scholar, Arthur Mendel, who he thought deserved the recognition.
  Bill is survived by his loving wife, Judy; his daughters, Louise and 
Barbara; his son, John; three stepchildren; and many grandchildren and 
great-grandchildren. Bill Scheide's legacy of generosity and studious 
philanthropy will not soon be forgotten.

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