WHO WAS DAN STOVER AND WHY IS THIS SCHOLARSHIP NAMED AFTER HIM?

The worlds of education and music transected in the life of Dan Stover, a secondary education professional whose musical talents were shared with his family, his community, and certainly with Rotary, at both the local and District levels.

Dan Stover was an educator who always placed the student first, and his obvious respect for his students transformed the lives of countless young people.  He shared his love of learning with the young, providing them with a positive role model for structuring their studies and their lives.

And Dan Stover was an accomplished musician, both as a vocalist and an instrumentalist.  He was as much at home in the finals of Barber Shop Quartet competition as he was at the keyboard of his famous “Rotary” organ, serenading Club meetings and District Conferences with his unique musical wizardry.

Dan Stover passed away shortly following the 1987 District Conference at which his friend and follow Alhambra Rotarian, Dr. Tim Keen Siu, became District Governor.  Dan was noticeably ill at the conference, but he played out his heart for Dr. Tim and others, knowing that the show must go on.

The Rotary Club of Alhambra, in the year following Dan Stover’s death, established a Music Scholarship Program and Competition in Dan’s name.  The program was proposed, organized, and championed by new Rotarian Christine Montan who, as Alhambra’s first woman Rotarian, quickly recognized and appreciated the talent and effectiveness of Dan Stover as a Rotarian and as a person.

Under Rotarian Montan’s leadership, the Dan Stover Memorial Music Scholarship “graduated” into a District program in the following year, and the rest is history.  A whole generation of talented, young musicians have had the opportunity, in the name of Dan Stover, to compete against their peers, and earn funds to further their musical education.

If you want to know more, ask Dave Stover who is Dan’s son.