CELEBRATING A LANDMARK GIFT TO OTTERBEIN
THE HOUSE
the Fritsches Helped
BUILD
A PASSION FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
When the Cardinal community gathered to celebrate the holidays this December, President John Comerford announced that Nevalyn Fritsche Nevil ’71 was giving her alma mater an incredible gift — a gift that will advance a promising future for the performing arts and place the Fritsche family’s commitment to the arts center stage at Otterbein forever.
There’s no question what motivated Nevalyn’s commitment to the performing arts at Otterbein. My inspiration came from honoring my parents, Ernest ’38, Hon. LL.D.’65 and Neva Fritsche, and their legacy,” said Nevalyn.
“They inspired me throughout my life and I want to inspire others.”
– Nevalyn Fritsche Nevil ’71
A Passion for the Arts.
Supporting Otterbein and the arts is a Fritsche family tradition. It’s helping alumni connect to that kind of passion that Nevalyn advocated for as a trustee. “One of my biggest recommendations … people need to be able to donate to their passion.”
Inspiring Future Performers
Inspire is exactly what Nevalyn’s planned gift will do. The Nevalyn Fritsche Nevil ’71 Endowment for the Performing Arts is intended to help advance and grow the quality, excellence, and opportunity of Otterbein’s performing arts programming and venues. “Otterbein has been a gift to me in so many ways,” Nevalyn said. “I want to do whatever is most helpful.”
Investing in the Future
The endowment is designed to be accessible to all performing arts programs — including acting, musical theatre, dance, and theatre design and technology, as well as all performance-based music programs. “Theatre is complex — it’s not just about the acting — it’s also about all of the supports,” Nevalyn explained.
The endowment will provide educational initiatives and support student learning and growth. It is intended to help attract visiting and leading artists and scholars and to support original productions, visiting professorships, faculty stipends, conference travel, and creative endeavors, among other goals.
The endowment may also be used to support Otterbein’s performing arts venues — something the Fritsche family already has a history of doing.
Impressed by the growing size of the program and its track record for attracting and preparing talent — Nevalyn also appreciates the dramatic advances in Otterbein’s technical production quality. “Every show I see, I’m wowed.” Nevalyn said she wanted design and technology included in the endowment because she recognizes how “rapidly advancing technology can make the experience more powerful.”
Pictured here with Nevalyn (center) is a promising young group of current Otterbein acting, dance, music, theatre, and design technology students. They represent the disciplines and programs that will benefit from Nevalyn’s transformational gift in the years to come.
Nevalyn helped secure her father’s support for renovations to Cowan Hall’s theatre. “We needed a space to inspire students to be the best they could be,” she said. This project also inspired Nevalyn’s first significant gift. She funded a professional consultant from New York to advise on the theatre’s renovations.
She lobbied her father to make the lead gift to honor her mother, Neva. Nevalyn describes her mother as a “master musician and accomplished vocalist” who performed throughout the world, championed the arts, and never stopped playing the piano even as her eyesight faded. “There was always music in the house and at family events,” she said.
While her mother was acting and singing, Nevalyn said her father was the business side of the duo. Ernest Fritsche ’38, Hon. LL.D.’65, was a respected business leader and builder whose innovative ideas paved the path for the housing industry in central Ohio while also creating opportunities for home ownership with his “sweat equity” principle. (Fritsche’s “sweat equity” concept assessed financial value to a future homeowner’s physical work on the house, like landscaping or painting, that could be applied to the down payment of the home.)
Together, Nevalyn said, her parents were tremendous supporters of Otterbein and the arts. A passion they clearly passed on to Nevalyn. She was enthralled watching Mary Martin fly as the original Peter Pan on Broadway and her appreciation of the arts continues today whether supporting Otterbein productions or attending the Sundance Film Festival.
In addition to her professional career as a clinical counselor in the Columbus area, she developed several books on helping those with developmental and psychological disorders. She also has served on a number of boards, including several for Otterbein, first as the president of the theatre advisory board. She and Randy Adams ’76 continue to co-host the beloved annual alumni reception that accompanies Otterbein’s NYC Senior Showcase — a tradition she has long valued. Next, she served as an Otterbein trustee from 2012 to 2025, following in the footsteps of her father, who served as a trustee for 23 years.
When asked how she thinks her parents would feel about her gift and continuing the family’s legacy, Nevalyn paused. ”I think they would be happy that this gift is designated to serve as a foundation for music, theatre, and musical theatre,” she said. “They would want to see things continue to progress and advance.”
She also hopes her gift inspires others to make a difference for Otterbein. “I want to encourage people to think of ways that they can give back so they can support what’s important to them and what influenced their successes here.” She was quick to add that giving isn’t just about an amount. “This is about encouraging everyone to give what they can of themselves and of their resources.”
Share Your News and Let’s Celebrate!
There are four words everyone loves to hear: I have good news.
It’s the rare phrase that brings joy to the person sharing and the person listening. Good news is something best celebrated together!
You may be sitting on good news right now: your thoughtful choice to protect the people you love and the causes you care about in your will or estate plan. We are especially grateful to alumna Nevalyn Fritsche Nevil ’71 for sharing her good news with the Otterbein community.
Including organizations/institutions like Otterbein in your estate is an impactful way to preserve your passion for our important mission. If that’s your choice, please don’t keep it a secret. It’s beneficial to let us know.
Why tell us about your gift?
You can ensure your gift is used exactly as you intend. You can choose to join other like-minded supporters in our 1847 Society.
Our organization can better plan for the future. We can thank you for your kindness!
If you’re concerned about privacy, rest assured that your gift can remain anonymous. Also, if you’d like flexibility in your gift decisions, know that many estate gifts allow you to change your mind at any time. We’re in this together. Your dedication to Otterbein makes you a critical partner in our important work. We would welcome an opportunity to discuss turning your dedication into your legacy.
You can start the conversation with four simple words: I have good news!
Once you are ready, feel free to let us know via our form at www.otterbein.edu/giving/planned-giving, or contact Kathleen Bonte, executive director of development and planned giving, at 614.823.2707 or kbonte@otterbein.edu