Society of Peabody Alumni
Citation for the Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association Heritage Award
Presented to
Linda Goodwin
April 30, 2010
The Heritage Award honors alumni and friends of Johns Hopkins who have contributed outstanding service over an extended period to the progress of the university or the activities of the Alumni Association.
Linda Goodwin, your contributions over nearly four decades have made it difficult to imagine the Peabody Institute without you.
A bassoonist and music education major when you arrived in 1973, you have remained an active part of the Peabody community since earning your Bachelor of Music degree in 1976.
You worked closely with Frederik Prausnitz to launch Peabody’s graduate conducting program, and at the same time earned a Master of Music in conducting in 1989 and a GPD in 1997.
With one “pre-Hopkins” degree from Peabody and two received after its affiliation, you are a bridge between two eras. As a staff member and a Conservatory faculty member you are also a bridge between alumni and Peabody and between alumni and current students.
But you are also a bridge of the type found in string instruments, solid, perfectly fitted at the center of the action, held in place by pressure, supporting the sound generators, and transmitting artistic energy.
For all this, we are grateful. However, this award gives special recognition to your service outside of your “day job.” Your recent two-year presidency of the Peabody Alumni Steering Committee capped many terms and countless hours of work. In addition, you completed two terms on the Johns Hopkins Alumni Council.
Peabody marked its 150th anniversary during your presidency and the Alumni Association celebrated with concerts around the world. The number of dues-paying members hit its highest level ever, and a Peabody alumni directory was produced listing all graduates from the Institute’s entire history.
Bringing back into the fold those who have fallen away was another accomplishment of your tenure. You encouraged all alumni to share their news, no matter what field they ended up choosing, and the alumni notes section of Peabody’s publications grew dramatically.
Your dedication to helping students learn what the real world is like before they leave Peabody have been the basis for some of the Alumni Association’s most important initiatives, notably Career Day and its predecessor, the Business of Music Seminar.
Linda for all you have contributed, we are honored to confer upon you the Johns Hopkins University Heritage Award.