Frederic W. Boots papers
Collection
0074-SCPA
Throughout his military career, Frederic Wallace Boots (1922-2006) served in Asia, Europe, and the United States. He directed the United States Military Academy's Cadet Glee Club in West Point, NY and eventually became Associate Band Master of the United States Army Band at Fort Myer, VA. He was a life member of the Virginia and National Federations of Music Clubs, a life member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity, and a member of the American Bandmasters Association. The collection consists of correspondence, administrative records, programs and tour itineraries, military documents, articles, newspaper clippings, scores: published and manuscript, photographs, scrapbooks, and other memorabilia related to Boots' career; the ensembles with which he was involved; and materials he collected on musical figures of personal interest, including: John P. Sousa, John J. Pershing, Raymond Dvorak, and Frederick P. Williams.
The collection is open for research use.
Materials from this collection 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. Contact the curator for an appointment: http://www.lib.umd.edu/scpa/contact
2.75 Linear Feet
The Frederic W. Boots papers cover the period from 1948 to 2006; the bulk of the materials date from 1953 to 1975. The collection consists of both personal and professional papers including scrapbooks, correspondence, programs, scores, clippings, photographs, and recordings related to Boots' work as conductor of the United States Military Academy Glee Club and Associate Band Master of the United States Army Band. This collection also includes materials collected during his forty-year membership in the American Bandmasters Association.
Frederic W. Boots was born in Champaign, IL on September 27, 1922. After graduating from Portage Wisconsin High School in 1940, Boots attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He completed two years of music study before enlisting with the Army and serving until 1945. He returned to the University of Wisconsin where he earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in 1949.
Boots went on to become the Assistant Professor of Music at San Jose State College in California, but he was called back to active duty and became Warrant Officer Band Leader, serving in Ft. Bliss, TX, Korea, Tokyo, Japan, West Point, NY, Heidleburg, Germany, and Ft. Monroe, VA. During his service Boots directed the United States Military Academy's Cadet Glee Club and held the title of Associate Band Master of the United States Army Band.
After retiring from the military, Boots was appointed head of the Special Services Division of Alexandria Libraries. He went on to earn his Masters degree in Library Science from Catholic University and worked as Quality Assurance Consultant in the Library of Congress' Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Until his death in 2006, Boots was a member of the American Bandmasters Association, a life member of the Virginian and National Federations of Music Clubs, a life member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity, and had Masonic Affiliations with West Point Lodge 877, Sojourners, Heroes of '76 and Scottish Rite.
This collection is arranged into six series.
Gift of Mrs. Patricia Boots, wife of Frederic W. Boots, received in February 2009.
Part of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library