Washington Conservatory of Music Records

Title: Records, 1887-1966 Description: 26 linear ft. Notes: Founded 1903 by Harriet Gibbs Marshall (1869-1941) and black musicians; closed 1960. Correspondence; organizational and administrative records; student, teacher, veteran, and financial records; sheet music, periodicals, programs, clippings, scrapbooks, and photos; biographical information on black musicians; papers of persons associated with the conservatory; and other records. Includes extensive correspondence with prominent black musicians, intellectuals, and public figures, in the early years of the school; correspondence of Harriet Gibbs Marshall relating to her book, The Story of Haiti (1930), and other information on Haiti; biographical information on Marshall; correspondence (in French and English) of Napoleon B. Marshall (d. 1933), U.S. Army officer, relating to his academic activities and military tenure in Haiti; and records of National Negro Music Centre, founded by Marshall in 1937, and National Association of Negro Musicians. Other persons represented include Victoria Josephine Muse (d. 1960). Gift of Geneva Turner, president of board of trustees, 1960 and 1967. Also includes Conservatory correspondence, financial papers, legal files, school proceedings, teacher reports, student records, notebooks, scrapbooks, artifacts, programs, photographs, and printed material. Location: Howard University, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center (Washington, DC) NIDS Fiche #: 4.72.121 NUCMC #: MS 83-126