To most Memphians, the name Rudi Scheidt is synonymous with music, philanthropy and the University of Memphis. However, his daughters, Susan Scheidt Arney and Helen Scheidt Gronauer, say it is so much more than that. They emphasize that their father, or more accurately their parents, prioritized family, faith and community above all else, while acknowledging a particular affinity for all things artistic.
To contextualize Rudi Scheidt’s involvement in the (now under construction) Scheidt Family Music Center on the University of Memphis campus, perhaps it would be best to review the circuitous route he traveled in making this monumental endeavor a reality.
In 1936, Rudi left Nazi Germany at the age of 6 with his parents and traveled to San Francisco, where they joined relatives, the prominent Heller family, who in addition to their vast civic involvement were patrons of the arts. Rudi’s exposure to that era’s leading figures in opera, symphony and the visual arts was the genesis of his lifelong love and support of the arts community.
Rudi graduated from the University of California Berkeley at age 18, prior to pursuing a job with Shell Oil in New York City as a chemical engineer. That is where he met his extraordinary wife Honey, his lifelong companion and confidant, prior to moving to Memphis where he later became president of Hohenberg Cotton. The Scheidts traveled extensively with their four children, always including opportunities for cultural and artistic enrichment.
In addition to their sponsorship of the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at University of Memphis, Rudi served on the board of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and for years was responsible for bringing that world-renowned institution’s performances to Memphis. Both he and Honey served on the board of the Memphis Brooks Museum, and Honey was the motivating force behind the widely acclaimed Wonders cultural exhibits. The Scheidts were never content to simply provide financial support and play a passive role but rather were intimately involved in the lives and efforts of University students, personally attending recitals, auditions and concerts.
The Scheidts and their children had long desired a proper and more expansive venue for the performing arts at the University of Memphis. This concept germinated 17 years ago when the Scheidts gave the lead gift in an effort to make this a reality. In concert with then University President David Rudd, the site of the current construction on Central Avenue was chosen, and architectural plans were drawn up and finalized. Unfortunately, both Rudi and Honey passed away in 2020, and although they would never see the project through to completion, they were confident that their well-laid plans would come to fruition.
