Musician J. E. Van Horne Jr. creates Husker scholarship for South Dakota students

Musician, sound engineer and University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumnus J. E. Van Horne Jr. has made a $500,000 gift to create a scholarship for South Dakota high school students who want to attend UNL. The J. E. Van Horne Jr. South Dakota Scholarship will be awarded to graduates of South Dakota high schools who are in good academic standing and enroll in the Nebraska College of Business. 

Van Horne, a 1975 graduate of the college, credits his time at UNL for preparing him for a career in the music and entertainment industry. His career was an adventure, as he worked with prominent entertainers across many genres of music.

“If you have a business background, you’re going to be able to make it,” Van Horne said. “My University of Nebraska education gave me all the tools I needed to succeed. You have to treat the music/entertainment business as a business.”

The J. E. Van Horne Jr. South Dakota Scholarship Fund was created through the University of Nebraska Foundation. The fund will be a permanent endowment, providing support for College of Business students in perpetuity. Beginning this fall, the scholarship will be awarded annually, ultimately benefiting an average of six South Dakota students each year with $3,000 awards. The Van Horne scholarship can be combined with other merit-based scholarships, creating a scholarship package comparable to in-state tuition at South Dakota universities. 

“The J. E. Van Horne Jr. South Dakota Scholarship will make a meaningful difference for students who may have thought a Nebraska Business education was out of reach,” said Kathy Farrell, James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean of the College of Business. “Thanks to this generous endowment, South Dakota students will receive support for generations to come.” 

As a professional drummer, Van Horne opened for big entertainers such as AC/DC and Pat Benatar. He was also a sound engineer, working with Chubby Checker, The Judds, John Denver, Steppenwolf, The Bangles, Johnny Cash, Charley Pride and many others. He earned a 3M Visionary Award for engineering the Boyz II Men song “The Birth of Christ” for the CD “A Very Special Christmas II” in 1992.

Born in Kansas, Van Horne moved to Nebraska at age 8. His family has worked in the banking/financial business for more than 140 years, and his grandmother graduated from Nebraska in the early 1900s, followed by his father, aunts, uncles and many cousins. Van Horne also worked in banking, serving for a time as a consultant for a South Dakota-based bank.

“I want to help the state of Nebraska and the state of South Dakota,” he said. “I’m a firm believer in the importance of higher education.”

Van Horne and his wife, Amy, live in Omaha. They are longtime generous supporters of the College of Business. Van Horne is a University of Nebraska Foundation trustee, and Amy serves as an honorary trustee. 

“I believe in the University of Nebraska. I love this university,” he said. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world because I’ve gotten to do so much.”

Van Horne’s gift supports Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future, a historic effort to engage 150,000 unique benefactors to raise $3 billion to support the University of Nebraska. Student access and success is the campaign’s top priority.

South Dakota students can apply for the scholarship by completing the supplemental scholarship application in their MyRED account. Applications are due Feb. 1. Additional information is available on the College of Business Scholarships and Aid webpage.