Published April 17, 2025
CAPTION: Sharon Griffith Turrentine and husband David Turrentine pose at the reception on April
9, 2025.
MONROE, LA – The University of Louisiana Monroe Foundation held a reception on April 9, 2025,
to celebrate the creation of the Sharon Griffith Turrentine Super Endowed Chair in
the School of Visual and Performing Arts. The $2 million endowment was made possible
by a $1,000,000 generous donation from Sharon Griffith Turrentine and her husband,
David Turrentine. The ULM Foundation added matching funds of $200,000 and submitted
a competitive proposal to the Louisiana Board of Regents Sponsored Program for a match
of $800,000. The endowment will provide funding for the expansion of educational opportunities
in the School of Visual and Performing Arts.
Sharon Griffith Turrentine shared with the gathered crowd about her experience growing
up on Bayou Desiard near the ULM campus and how the university was interwoven with
her youth. Despite leaving the area after high school to pursue a singing career,
Turrentine stated, “Monroe has always been my home, and this university has always
been a big part of my heart.”
She eventually returned to the area and married David Turrentine. Her continuing love
of music and ULM led her to make the decision to donate to the School of Visual and
Performing Arts.
“It means so much to me to be able to assist so many facets of the arts. Knowing that
this contribution will touch so many lives for years upon years to come gives me a
truly wonderfully great feeling,” said Turrentine.
Acting ULM President Dr. Nick Bruno was on hand to provide remarks. He recounted the
university’s long history with the Turrentine family and their many instances of generosity
to the institution. “It is so gratifying to know that there are people out there who
will do things like this for the good of the students who will be in these programs,”
said Bruno.
The reception featured performances from Mrs. Turrentine, as well as ULM vocal students
James Wright, Addison Mitchell, Braden Tucker, and Morgan Meyer. The vocalists were
accompanied on piano by ULM Instructor of Music Justin Havard.
Based on the ULM Foundation investment policy, the super endowed chair will provide
$80,000 each year to be used at the discretion of the chair holder, with supervision
from the ULM Foundation. Uses include the purchase of new equipment, the funding of
educational travel, continuing education for the chair holder, and student scholarships.
Since no expenditures will ever be made from the principal of the endowment, the fund
will continue to support the ULM School of Visual and Performing Arts for generations
to come.
The current holder of the Sharon Griffith Turrentine Super Endowed Chair in the School
of Visual and Performing Arts is Dr. Nicholas Bratcher, who serves as the Director
of the School of Visual and Performing Arts.
In her remarks, Turrentine shared about the scholarship opportunities this gift will
provide and how much that could have helped a student like her in the past. “This
opportunity for me to help students who cannot afford to be able to further their
education means more to me than you can possibly know,” said Turrentine.
“The gracious consideration of the Turrentine family will prove to be a wise investment
in the futures of myriads of artists, performers, teachers, and citizens,” said Dr.
Mark Arant, ULM Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
About Sharon Griffith Turrentine
Sharon Griffith Turrentine is a native of Monroe and a graduate of Ouachita Parish
High School. She studied at Northeast Louisiana State College, then attended the University
of Houston in vocal performance. Sharon continued her vocal studies at Columbia University
in New York City. She performed nightly in Greenwich Village and worked full-time
at an advertising agency. Sharon returned to Monroe and put her advertising experience
to work at her father’s radio and television stations.
In the 1970s, Sharon developed a passion for physical fitness, including weight training
and competitive body-building. For nine years, her program “Shape Up With Sharon”
aired on KNOE-TV. Her company designed physical fitness programs for women, and she
trained contestants from every state for the Miss America Pageant.
Sharon was appointed to the Louisiana Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
and also taught weight lifting for women and water aerobics at ULM. Now retired, Sharon
continues to motivate women to stay active at any age.
Sharon married her husband, David Turrentine in 1975. Together, they have a history
of making generous donations to their alma mater. Among their many gifts are $1 million
donated in 2020 to create the David and Sharon Turrentine School of Management within
the ULM College of Business and Social Sciences and $60,000 donated in 2015 to create
the David and Sharon Turrentine Endowed Professorship in the College of Business and
Social Sciences.
About ULM VAPA
The School of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Louisiana Monroe aims
to provide students with the highest level of arts education, research and educational
opportunities to majors and minors. VAPA aims to offer curricular, co-curricular and
extracurricular opportunities to students enrolled at ULM, as well as provide cultural
activities, special events and performances for university, local and area communities.
The School of Visual and Performing Arts aims to serve as an expert resource to school
arts programs throughout the region. VAPA at ULM offers degrees in various disciplines
in art and music as well as experiences in dance and theatre. Learn more at www.ulm.edu/vapa
CAPTION: Vocal students from the ULM School of Visual and Performing Arts, as well as Mrs.
Turrentine, shared their talents with the crowd. Pictured L-R: Addison Mitchell, Morgan
Meyer, Sharon Griffith Turrentine, James Wright III, Braden Tucker.
