Kansas Wesleyan University said three alumni will be honored at a Music Hall of Fame ceremony during the Homecoming concert on Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in Sams Chapel.
The inductees are Beverly Salmon ’57, Dr. Donald “Don” Donaldson ’60 and Jake Montoya ’05, according to the university’s announcement.
Salmon, a Music Education major who also minored in Church Music, taught piano and harp, directed choirs in churches across the United States and abroad, and performed as the principal harpist in Dallas before her death in 2018 at age 82.
Donaldson earned a master’s in Music Education from Wichita State University and a Doctorate of Music Arts from the University of Missouri‑Kansas City. He taught at Kansas Wesleyan from 1978 to 1984, later served as a professor at Asbury College until 2000, conducted a choir at Carnegie Hall in 2001 and was named an Educator Laureate in 2011.
Montoya, who returned to the campus full‑time in 2023, currently directs the KWU Howl Pep Band and Jazz Ensemble and leads recruitment for the Music Department. While a student, he studied saxophone and guitar, directed the pep band and earned multiple outstanding musician awards. After eight years teaching in the Solomon School District, he moved to Salina public schools, where he was named Secondary Teacher of the Year for 2017‑18 and also performs with local ensembles.
University officials highlighted that each inductee’s lasting impact on students is the most significant contribution to Kansas’s musical arts.
For more information, visit kwu.edu.