Jim Hainlen Stillwater Orchestra Legacy Fund
To donate, click the link below and select “Orchestra Legacy Fund”.
“I always tried to teach beyond the musical notes, making connections to the other arts and life beyond school. The music mattered, but what mattered more was our relationships with one another and our sense of humanity. ”
The Jim Hainlen Stillwater Orchestra Legacy Fund enriches the experiences of Stillwater Area Public Schools orchestra students beyond what is possible in the regular school budget. The fund was established in 2004 following longtime music educator Jim Hainlen’s retirement from the Stillwater school district.
Hainlen taught in Stillwater schools from 1973 to 2004, and his tenure, influence, and mentorship of other orchestra educators in the district helped establish the Stillwater orchestra program as one of the most highly regarded public school orchestra programs in the nation. In 2025, a committee of Stillwater orchestra alumni led efforts to rename the fund the Jim Hainlen Stillwater Orchestra Legacy Fund to honor the longtime educator’s enduring support of the program, as well as double the endowment fund and its impact for current and future students.
Hainlen delivered remarks at an event announcing the newly renamed fund; watch the video here.