The James H. Schindler Scholarship Fund

Michigan Ballet Academy is honored to be able to provide both need and merit-based scholarships due to the generosity and patronage of Mr. James H. Schindler. If you’re interested in learning more about the scholarship fund, please contact Michigan Ballet Academy’s School Administrator, Grace Hendrian at ghendrian@michiganballet.org

Forms:

• MBA Scholarship Policy

• Scholarship Form

Biography of James H. Schindler

James H. Schindler, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, grew up on the family’s Centennial Farm in Alpine Township and was the only child of the late Karl A. and Carol A. (Greiner) Schindler. At the age of five, he was enrolled in Beech Grove Elementary School, an old one room schoolhouse without any running water. He was one of the third generation in his family to attend the small country school. During his high school years, he attended the original Grand Rapids Union High School (now known as Union Square Condominiums) where he graduated with honors and was awarded an academic scholarship to study engineering at the University of Michigan. While at the University of Michigan, he earned a degree in Chemical Engineering and a second degree in Metallurgical Engineering as well.

His professional resume included obtaining a government secret clearance for research and processing of vacuum melted high temperature resistant alloys to be used in jet and rocket engine components for the General Electric Specialty Alloys group in Detroit. Subsequently, he was recruited for a Senior Research Engineering position at the Vickers Division of the Sperry Rand Corporation in Troy, Michigan. While there, he was again issued a government secret clearance. His assignment involved developing special high temperature resistant materials and coatings for use in the Apollo 11 space mission which landed the first men on the moon. Several years later, he joined the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan as a Product Design Engineer where he was involved in designing the suspension for Ford’s first American built front wheel drive automobile. While at the Ford Motor Company, he was awarded a United States Patent for a suspension component which improved and simplified the assembly process as well as reducing cost.

During his time in the Detroit area, he served for thirteen years on the Executive Board of Directors for the Detroit Chapter of the American Society for Metals. He was also a member of the University of Michigan John Monteith Legacy Society and held life memberships in the Engineering Society of Detroit and the NRA. In 1997, he took an early retirement from his engineering career returning to Grand Rapids to undertake a land development project and to design and build his new home on the family farmland.

In 2013, he established Schindler Enterprises, LLC., a production company devoted to bringing talented young musicians, from out of state and abroad, to perform in Grand Rapids. He is a staunch supporter of the performing arts and has provided numerous scholarships to students in the greater Grand Rapids area. He has supported students at Michigan Ballet Academy since 2011, and most of his scholarship recipients have gone on to ballet careers in major companies all over the world. He is also an avid traveler, having visited more than 25 different countries throughout five continents as well as all 50 states in the USA.