The 1966 Campaign

Sixty Years in the Making

In the early spring of 1966, Dr. Samuel E. Duncan, President of Livingstone College, placed a phone call from a federal office in Washington, D.C. to Dr. Donald C. Dearborn, President of Catawba College. The two agreed to a proposal from the U.S. Office of Education: to strengthen the music departments of their two colleges under the Higher Education Act of 1965 — and in doing so, to found an orchestra in Salisbury.

That orchestra was the Salisbury Symphony.

It’s a founding story worth sitting with, not just because it explains where we came from, but because of when it happened. Dr. Duncan made that call roughly four years after Richard G. Steward and 15 other Livingstone College students were arrested at the Capitol Theatre for protesting the segregation of Salisbury’s movie theaters — the city’s first civil rights arrests since the Greensboro sit-ins two years before. He called Dr. Dearborn less than a year after Catawba College integrated its student body, in the same season that Lawrence Bullock, Catawba’s first Black graduate, took the basketball court on his way to eight years in the Illinois State Legislature.

The Symphony’s first Music Director was Albert Chaffoo, Iraqi-born and Royal Academy-educated. From its earliest seasons, the orchestra’s stage was open to Black musicians — at a moment in Salisbury when that was not without consequence.

The Salisbury Symphony was founded by giants. Two college presidents, on a phone call, decided that this community deserved an orchestra — and that it would be built together, across a divide their city had not yet fully crossed.

We owe them a profound debt of gratitude. And this year, as the Symphony turns sixty, we’re honoring that legacy with a campaign that carries its name.

Why the 1966 Campaign

The 1966 Campaign is our summer annual fund effort — unrestricted operating support that keeps the lights on, our musicians on stage, and our education programs running. It’s the only formal access point to string education in Rowan County, and it’s the fund that gives the Symphony the flexibility to meet its needs wherever they arise, whether that’s musician fees, hall rental, or simply keeping the music going.

Every dollar you give between now and September 15, 2026 goes directly toward sustaining the orchestra through its 2026–27 season and beyond.

Your Gift, at Any Level

This campaign isn’t about a single major gift — it’s about a community showing up together, the same way this orchestra was built. Whether you can give $25 or $2,500, your gift is fully tax-deductible and moves us closer to the finish line.

• ✓Every gift is unrestricted — it goes exactly where the Symphony needs it most.
• ✓Every gift is acknowledged — you’ll hear from us, personally.
• ✓Every donor is recognized in all six of our 2026–27 concert programs.

Want to Do More?

Consider sponsoring a musician’s chair for the season ($2,500, installments available) — a gift that puts your name directly alongside a member of the orchestra in every program book, with the option of a personal introduction to the musician you’re supporting.

Give By Mail or Phone

• Online: www.salisburysymphony.org/give
• By check: Payable to “Salisbury Symphony Orchestra,” mailed to P.O. Box 1828, Salisbury, NC 28145
• By phone: (704) 216-1513

The Salisbury Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.