Leah Lou Emmons was the wife of Charles Emmons who was a member of the music faculty from 1957-1982. During this time, he was the Director of Marching Mizzou, Director of the University Philharmonic, violist with the University String Quartet, and Chair of the Music Department. Charles and Leah Lou established the endowment in 1989 to provide awards to string students at the annual Honors Convocation each spring.