Will Earhart papers
Collection
0073-SCPA
Will Earhart (1871-1960) was born in Franklin, Ohio. He began teaching in Ohio, and by 1888 he was music supervisor in the public schools of Greenville, Ohio. By 1898 he was Director of the Richmond (Indiana) High School Orchestra and helped establish the Richmond Civic Orchestra. In 1912, Earhart was Director of Music in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. A year later, Earhart founded and administered the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Public School Music. Earhart held several offices in the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), later known as the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), including vice president (1910) and president (1915-1916). This collection contains published and unpublished typescripts, articles, books, pamphlets, reviews, and music by or about Will Earhart. It also includes personal and professional letters and correspondence, addresses, and photographs.
The collection is open for research use. Materials must be used in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library's Irving and Margery Morgan Lowens Special Collections Room, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, except for Wednesdays during the spring and fall semesters when open hours are extended to 8:00pm. Contact the curator for an appointment: http://www.lib.umd.edu/scpa/contact.
Use of the collection is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.). For questions regarding duplication of materials for research purposes or for publication, please contact the curator: http://www.lib.umd.edu/scpa/contact.
3.00 Linear Feet
The Will Earhart papers cover the period from 1895-1960; the bulk dates of the material cover the period from 1934-1958. This collection contains published and unpublished typescripts, articles, books, pamphlets, and music by Will Earhart. It also includes personal and professional letters and correspondence, addresses, reviews of Earhart's works, and photographs.
Will Earhart (1871-1960) was born in Franklin, Ohio. He began his professional teaching career in Ohio, and in 1888 he became music supervisor in the public schools of Greenville, Ohio. In 1898 he moved to Richmond, Indiana where he became Director of the Richmond High School Orchestra and helped establish the Richmond Civic Orchestra. In 1912, Earhart moved to Pittsburgh and became Director of Music in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. A year later, Earhart founded and administered the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Public School Music.
Earhart held several offices in the Music Educators National Conference, including vice president (1910) and president (1915-1916). He was a member of the conference's National Research Council (1919-1944, chairing for a portion of his tenure) and head of the Book and Music Reviews for the Music Educators Journal. During his career, Earhart wrote articles, gave addresses, and authored books, including The Eloquent Baton (c.1931), Music to the Listening Ear (c.1932), The Meaning and Teaching of Music (c.1935), and Choral Technics (c.1937). Earhart died in 1960. In 1986 he was inducted into the Music Educators Hall of Fame.
This collection has been divided into ten series:
Gift of papers and materials from William C. Earhart, son of Will Earhart, was received in 1971. Letter dated August 23, 1977 confirming gift of books and letters made to the MENC Historical Center in 1971, located with collection in Box 1 and the current correspondence file of William C. Earhart.
Part of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library