The Piqua Chamber Mills/Bogart Scholarship Committee awards the Mills/Bogart Brothers Scholarship and the Betty Hemmert Scholarship.These scholarships are available to students or graduates from the Piqua area.  The Betty Hemmert Scholarship is also available to any Lehman student.

Mills/Bogart Brothers Scholarship

The Mills Brothers began their career in 1925 as “Four Boys and a Guitar”. Their parents, John H. and Ethel M. Mills moved to Piqua in 1908-09. The “Four Boys” got their professional start with the local Greenamyer Orchestra. Their first record was cut in 1927 and during the next fifty years, the group cut over 1,246 records. The Mills Brothers biggest hits included “Tiger Rag”, “Glow Worm”, and “Bye Bye Blackbird”.

Similarly, the Bogart Brothers began their careers locally with their starring roles on the Lehman Catholic High School stage. They are the sons of Kathy and Bob Bogart of Houston , Ohio . Matt, Daniel and Dominic received the Mills Brothers Scholarship and have pursued careers in professional music performing in various roles on stage around the country. Kevin chose not to pursue a career in the arts. He plays guitar as a hobby and for various musical productions.

Betty Hemmert Scholarship

Betty Hemmert, was an accomplished pianist and a talented voice teacher.  She first came to Piqua in 1945 to teach music at Wilder Junior High and Piqua Central High School.  She began to teach piano privately while rearing their five children.

Hemmert was organist and choir director for several churches and directed the quartet at the Jewish Temple.  She was founder and director of the Piqua Community Chorus and also directed the Skylarks, a girls vocal ensemble in the 1940's and the Silhouettes, a girls trio in the 1970's.  Betty taught private voice lessons for many years until retirement in 1999. Her students were highly successful in Ohio Music Education Association contests and on the high school stage. 

Applications and Letters of Recommendation must be sent to the
Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce,
326 N. Main Street, P.O. Box 1142
Piqua, Ohio 45356
by June 1

Mills/Bogart Scholarship application

Betty HemmertScholarship application