Buildings around the world are named after people for any number of reasons.
The Butler University community may be wondering who is behind the name of the school’s newest building.
That mystery is revealed for Howard Schrott, the man whose name is now permanently part of Butler University’s campus in the new Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts.
Schrott came to Butler in 1972 and majored in radio and television broadcasting and minored in business administration.
His graduation from Butler in 1976 was followed by a chain of careers in the media industry.
Staying in Indianapolis after graduating, Schrott moved through various workplaces, including Indianapolis’ Channel 6 as a camera operator, a Marion County radio station and Indianapolis Public Schools as a TV producer.
While at IPS, Schrott attended Indiana University School of Law at night and graduated in 1983.
He used his law degree in Indianapolis, then took it to Washington, D.C., where he worked with broadcasting companies, utilizing both degrees.
Schrott carried his talents through Charlotte, N.C., the San Francisco Bay area, back to Indianapolis and to Greenville, S.C.
Through all of his work ventures, Schrott ended up in his favorite location, California. He is now a corporate advisor and consultant for Schrott Consulting, the business he began in 2006.
Throughout his years away from Butler, Schrott stayed involved in the Butler community.
“I believe that it’s not what you take,” Schrott said. “It’s what you leave behind.”
Schrott served on the Jordan College of Fine Arts Board of Visitors from 1996 to 2009 and then was invited to be a part of the Board of Trustees.
His generous contribution has made the Schrott Center possible. His name will now permanently be part of Butler’s campus.
Schrott’s concern is for students and faculty that will be using the building in the future.
“Arts students may never have the opportunity to perform on a stage of that size again and with a full house,” Schrott said. “Or they may realize that they can make it and want to perform for the rest of their lives.
“This building gives students and faculty an added tool to make them more effective teachers.”
But the center is not just for the students. Schrott said he also wants to see the community moved by performances that come to the stage.
This is an added way for the community to come in contact with the arts, and Schrott said he wants the community to take full advantage of it.
“What I would hope to see is anything that’s new or different in addition to the traditional things we know we’re going to see here,” Schrott said. “Maybe let people try something that they didn’t know they liked and find out that they like it. That’ll be great.”
Although he has been a part of Butler for a number of years, Schrott now has something tangible that permanently attaches him to campus. Not many people have their name attached to a building, yet he has stayed humble about it.
“It’s less about having a name in the building and more about what I can imagine going on in there,” Schrott said. “Or what I can’t imagine right now.”
