Suzi McDonald joined Krannert Center’s staff in 1981, serving as the very first Audience Education Director and passionately pioneering opportunities for the Center to extend its community impact through programs like Krannert Caravan, Within Reach, Residence Hall Outreach, and the Krannert Center Community Volunteer Program.

Herman Krannert was a University of Illinois College of Engineering graduate who made a name for himself in the shipping business—in particular, by pioneering the use of corrugated cardboard through his Inland Container Corporation. In the early 1960s, Herman and his wife Ellnora (for whom our guitar festival is named) decided it was time to honor Herman’s alma mater with a new gift.