Lucy Lee Lewis Papers, 1937-1989
| Oberlin College Archives
Administrative/Biographical History
Lucy Lee Lewis, Professor of Harp at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music from 1937-1971, was born on 27 March 1905 in Seymour, Indiana. Her parents were Agnes (Fleming) and Ulysses F. Lewis, a lawyer. She spent her childhood in Redlands, California, and as a child was selected to be a candidate in the Terman Study of the Gifted. After briefly attending the University of Redlands, she went to on earn her bachelors degree cum laude from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1929. Lewis was an honors graduate in English and completed several courses in music history and theory. Following graduation she toured with another harpist, Gertrude Hustana Peterson, traveling far and wide in their car, the only transportation they could afford, and giving harp duo recitals from coast to coast.
Lewis studied harp with Alfred Kastner (1924-1929) and Carlos Salzedo (1933-1937). In 1936-1937 she completed graduate work at the Julliard School of Music and the music department of Columbia University. During these years she performed as a soloist, played in several orchestras, and taught private harp lessons. In 1937 Lewis was appointed to the Oberlin Conservatory as Instructor of Harp, filling the position after William Kilgore Breckenridge (d. 1956) left it vacant in 1934. During World War II Lewis joined various faculty members (including Joseph Hungate, Assistant Professor of Piano, and John Frazer, Associate Professor of Violoncello and Ensemble) teaching physics to the Navy V-12 Unit stationed on the Oberlin College campus. Lewis's musical interests extended to musicology, and she taught music theory at Oberlin for over 15 years; she taught music theory as well as harp until 1954, when she became Associate Professor of Harp. Lewis directed the Oberlin Harp Ensemble for over two decades, and in 1966 she was promoted to Professor of Harp.
Lewis edited Harp News Magazine (1954-1956) and contributed to American Harp Journal. She was a member of the board of directors of the American Harp Society and a past president of Pi Kappa Lambda (Theta chapter). In 1952 Lewis took a year's sabbatical leave, studying with Salzedo a second time in New York and working on research projects dealing with harp. During the spring of 1953 she traveled in Europe and was the first American harpist to serve as a member of the jury for the Harp Concours of the National Conservatory of Music in Paris; the postcards she wrote from Europe to friends in Oberlin not only document the places she visited but also demonstrate her clever sense of humor. While at Oberlin, Lewis served on the Special Awards Committee (1955-1968) and the Social Occasions Committee (1949-1965).
During her career Lewis toured the country with the Oberlin Harp Ensemble and participated in several harp festivals held on various college campuses. In 1955 Lewis arranged the Oberlin Harp Festival, a three-day event bringing 54 harps to the Finney Chapel stage; Lewis performed as soloist and Carlos Salzedo was guest conductor.
Lewis retired in 1971 but was professionally active for many years. She taught as a faculty replacement at Boston University and served on the jury of the International Harp Competition in Tel Aviv in 1976 and 1979.
Lucy Lewis developed Alzheimer's disease and moved from her Elm Street home to Oberlin's Welcome Nursing Home in the mid-1980s. She resided there for three years, until her death on 22 September 1989; Lewis was buried in Riverside Cemetery in Redlands, California. Many of her students performed in a memorial concert exactly one year after her death. She gave $25,000 to Allen Memorial Hospital and $1.2 million to a scholarship fund for conservatory students. Lucy Lewis never married, and she had no surviving relatives.
Author: Stacy A. Nowicki Forms of Material (links to similar genres) Administrative Information
The papers of Lucy Lee Lewis document Lewis's career as a harpist, particularly at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and her relationship with her students. Little or no material is extant documenting her scholarship and service to Oberlin College. The material, consisting of correspondence between Lewis and her harp students, clippings of her students' activities, and miscellaneous items, is of a relatively high research value. This collection is organized into eight series: 1. Biographical Miscellany, 2. Correspondence Files, 3. Files of Harp-Related Events, 4. Memorial Concert, 5. Miscellaneous Program Files, 6. Miscellaneous Publications and Papers, 7. Photographs, and 8. Artifacts/Objects (Awards, Posters, and Plaques).
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series I. Biographical Miscellany, 1937-1990 (2 folders)
Included in this series are vitae (employment forms, photocopies of newspaper articles, programs, obituaries), Lewis's last will and testament, and other miscellaneous printed material of a biographical nature. This series also includes correspondence and papers dealing with a celebration dinner for Lucy Lewis's retirement (1971) and the Terman Study of the Gifted. A scrapbook created by Lewis's students for the retirement celebration dinner may be found in Series VII; awards may be found in Series IX. Arranged by record type.
Series II. Correspondence Files (10 folders)
This series is organized into four subseries: Student correspondence (letters to and from Lucy Lewis), Clippings, Postcards, and Correspondence (Miscellaneous). The student correspondence files contain eight folders of correspondence between Lucy Lewis and her harp students, arranged by the students' last names. The Clippings subseries includes newspaper clippings of her students' activities, mostly sent to Lewis from her students. The Postcards subseries contains postcards sent from Lewis during her travels in Europe during 1953; the correspondence on these postcards documents her activities in Europe as well as her sense of humor. Miscellaneous correspondence consists of birth and wedding announcements as well as letters dealing with Lewis's former house in Redlands, California.
Series III. Files of Harp-Related Events, 1954-1979 (2 folders)
This series is arranged into three subseries: 1. Oberlin Harp Festival, 2. Summer Harp Colony of America, and 3. International Harp Contest. The Oberlin Harp Festival subseries contains a scrapbook, probably created by Lucy Lewis, consisting of pre- and post-festival correspondence, photos, notes, clippings, and programs. (An Oberlin Harp Festival poster and plaque may be found in Series VIII.) The Summer Harp Colony of America subseries contains clippings, rosters, and correspondence dealing with the summer camp, and the International Harp Contest subseries consists of correspondence, clippings, and rosters. Arranged by individual event.
Series IV. Memorial Concert Files, 1990 (1 folder, 1 envelope)
This series consists of four subseries: 1. Correspondence, 2. Miscellaneous Papers, 3. Programs, and 4. Recordings. Subseries 1 contains correspondence to participants and other miscellaneous letters; subseries 2 includes rosters, notes, and clippings; subseries 3 contains programs; subseries 4 is a single concert recording.
Series V. Miscellaneous Program Files, 1929-1971 (4 folders)
This series is organized into five subseries: 1. Programs of Lucy Lewis's performances (1929-1967), 2. Performances of the Oberlin Harp Ensemble (1947-1959), 3. Lewis's Students' Performances at Oberlin (1944-1971), 4. Students' Performances Elsewhere, and 5. Miscellaneous Programs. Arranged within each subseries by date.
Series VI. Miscellaneous Publications and Papers (1 folder)
This series contains originals and photocopies of published articles by and about Lucy Lewis. Also notes exist in Lewis's handwriting about former students' careers, at what institutions they taught, and in what orchestras they performed.
Series VII. Scrapbook
Lucy Lewis's scrapbook from the retirement celebration dinner contains photos, correspondence, clippings, as well as programs from her students and personal friends. Many photos in the scrapbook identify the people pictured as well as dates.
Series VIII. Photographs (3 folders)
This series consists of photographs (1929-ca. 1980) dealing with Lucy Lewis's early, mid- and later life. It includes photos of her harp students (1945-1951, 1953, 1967, 1978) and harp teachers Carlos Salzedo (ca. 1937) and Alfred Kastner (1930). Arranged by subject. Two oversized photographs of her students may be found in Series IX.
Series IX. Artifacts/Objects (Awards, Posters, and Plaques)
Awards consist of an Israel State Medal (1976) and an appreciation plaque from the American Harp Society (1975). Oberlin Harp Festival objects include a plaque and a poster. Due to their physical size, two oversized photographs of Lewis's students are included in this series.
INVENTORY
Series I. Biographical Miscellany, 1937-1990
Box 1
Vitae, 1937-1989
Last Will and Testament, 1979
Retirement celebration dinner, 1971
Terman Study of the Gifted, 1972, 1976, 1984
A scrapbook created for the retirement
celebration may be found in Series VII
Awards are to be found under Series IX
Series II. Correspondence Files, 1962-1983
Subseries 1. Student files (letters to and from LL)
Box 1 (cont.)
Correspondence
Altshuler-Bracy
Cassat-Conley
Davids
Fulton-Kleinsteuber
Lantz-Liber
Lieb-Osinko
Papalia-Strasbaugh
Waterhouse-Wong
Subseries 2. Clippings File (Students), 1962-1973
Box 1 (cont.)
Clippings
Subseries 3. Postcards, 1953
Box 1 (cont.)
Postcards
From Lucy Lewis to Daub-Johnson
From Lucy Lewis to Betty Lasley
Subseries 4. Correspondence (Miscellaneous), 1970-1984
Box 1 (cont.)
Correspondence
Series III. Files of Harp-Related Events, 1954-1979
Subseries 1. Oberlin Harp Festival, 1955
Box 2
Scrapbook
Clippings
Plaques and Posters of the Oberlin Harp
Festival are located in Series IX
Subseries 2. Summer Harp Colony of America, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1960
Box 2 (cont.)
Clippings
Miscellaneous Papers
Subseries 3. International Harp Contest, 1973, 1976
Box 2 (cont.)
Correspondence
Miscellaneous Papers
Series IV. Memorial Concert Files, 1990
Subseries 1. Correspondence, 1989-1990
Box 2 (cont.)
Correspondence
Subseries 2. Miscellaneous Papers
Box 2 (cont.)
Miscellaneous Papers
Subseries 3. Programs, 1990
Box 2 (cont.)
Programs
Subseries 4. Recording, 1990
Box 2 (cont.)
Recording (1 audiocassette tape)
Series V. Miscellaneous Program Files, 1929-1971
Box 2 (cont.)
Programs
Lucy Lewis's Performances,
1929-1967
Oberlin Harp Ensemble, 1947-1959
Student Performances at Oberlin,
1944-1971
Student Performances Elsewhere,
1962-1971
Miscellaneous Programs, 1971
Series VI. Miscellaneous Publications and Papers
Box 2 (cont.)
Publications and Papers
Articles by Lucy Lewis, n.d.
Articles about Lucy Lewis (photocopies),
1941-1990
Notes about students' careers
Series VII. Scrapbook (oversize)
Box 4
Scrapbook (Retirement Party), 1971
Series VIII. Photographs
Box 2
Photographs, 1929-ca. 1980
Lucy Lewis, early life (with harp)
Lucy Lewis, mid-life
Lucy Lewis, mid-life (with harp)
Lucy Lewis, later life (with harp)
Lucy Lewis and Gertrude Peterson
(harp duo)
Harp Teachers
Alfred Kastner, 1930
Carlos Salzedo, ca. 1937
Harp Students, 1945-1951, 1953,
1967, 1978
Lucy Lewis and Harp Students, 1941
Oberlin Harp Festival, 1955
Retirement Party, 1971
Memorial Concert, 1990
Two oversized photographs of students may be
found in Series IX
Series IX. Artifacts/Objects (Awards, Posters, and Plaques)
Box 3
Awards
Israel State Medal, 1976
Appreciation Plaque from the American
Harp Society, 1975
Oberlin Harp Festival Plaque, 1955
Oberlin Harp Festival Poster, 1955
Photographs of Students (oversized)