Jimmy McDaniels was known as "The Piano Man" and played in major supper clubs throughout the United States. As well as a soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony, he kept company with Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole , Mel Torme, Rosemary Clooney, Joe Williams and Lionel Hampton, just to name a few. An exciting performance in his career included the 1989 Bush/Quayle Presidential Inauguration. As a member of both the Indiana and Alabama Jazz Hall of Fames, Jimmy was commited to music, education and service to mankind. For many years, Jimmy volunteered and organized the Pendleton Reformatory Jazz Band, for which he received a Governor's Award for outstanding service to the Indiana community. Jimmy McDaniels made a difference.
Today more than ever, scholarships are essential to attracting and retaining top talent to the University. The Jimmy McDaniels Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt public charity, will award annual College scholarships to students pursuing instrumental music and education degrees in Indiana and Alabama. In October 2009, The Jimmy McDaniels Scholarship was established at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana which will benefit instrumental students studying in the School of Music in the Jordan College of Fine Arts.