Emil C. and Mary Ann Danenberg Papers, 1926-2008
| Oberlin College Archives
Administrative/Biographical History
Emil Charles Danenberg was born in Hong Kong on July 30, 1917 to pianist Emil F. X. Danenberg and Elsie (Gardner) Danenberg. As a child, Danenberg studied piano with his father, a graduate of the prestigious Leipzig Conservatory. He made his piano debut at age five. In 1926, the family immigrated to the United States and settled in Los Angeles. After graduating from Los Angeles High School in 1936, Danenberg enrolled at the University of California at Los Angeles. He changed his major from economics to music after a gymnastic accident during his sophomore year permanently injured his cervical vertebrae. He studied theory with composer Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) at U.C.L.A. and piano with Abby De Avirett in Los Angeles and Edward Steuermann (1892-1964) in New York. He received the B.A. degree with honors in 1942 and the A.M. in 1944, both from U.C.L.A. In 1980, he was awarded the honorary Mus.D. degree by Marietta College in Ohio and the honorary Litt. D. by Franklin College in Indiana. Danenberg was a member of the music honor societies Phi Mu Alpha and Pi Kappa Lambda (Theta Chapter).
Danenberg enjoyed a successful career as a concert pianist, playing both solo piano and chamber music recitals. From 1947 to 1967, he toured with basso Jerome Hines (b. 1921) of the Metropolitan Opera. He made his New York debut in 1950 and performed at New York University's Town Hall in 1953, returning there in 1967 as part of the Oberlin in New York recital series. He made his European recital debut at the Darmstadt International Festival of New Music in 1957 and appeared as soloist with the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra under the baton of Herman Scherchen (1891-1966). He also gave recitals at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, at Vienna, and at Graz, Austria, as well as throughout the United States and Canada. At Oberlin, Danenberg performed frequently in faculty recitals with his colleagues, violinist Andor Toth, Sr. (b. 1925) and vocalist Richard Miller (b. 1926). He held semester leaves in 1953-54, 1960-61, and 1967-68 to study piano and chamber music in New York, Vienna, Rome, and Dartington, England.
In July 1944, Danenberg joined the Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College as Instructor in Pianoforte, rising to the rank of Assistant Professor in 1949, Associate Professor in 1955, and Professor of Pianoforte in 1960. From 1955 to 1965 he taught the Piano Literature course for the Piano Department. He served as Acting Dean of the Conservatory of Music from July 1, 1970 to July 1, 1971, when he was named Dean of this main division.
Danenberg's able leadership of the Conservatory coincided with college-wide curricular innovation, stimulated in part by the youthful energy of the new president, Robert Fuller. The Conservatory initiated two new degree programs in 1972/73, leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) and the post-graduate Performance Diploma. Danenberg's wide musical tastes led to the development of several new majors and programs, including the program in Early Music (1973), the summer Baroque Performance Institute (1973), and the program in Ethnomusicology. Danenberg added courses in African-American music and even encouraged the formation of performing ensembles such as the Oberlin Black Ensemble (1971) and the Jazz Ensemble. Contemporary music received his enthusiastic support with the addition of a faculty position in percussion and expansion of the New Directions Recital Series and the Technology in Music and Related Arts program, founded in 1971. He promoted the performance and teaching of chamber music by bringing the New Hungarian Quartet to residence at Oberlin in 1972. The Conservatory added to its musical instrument inventory with the purchase of early Renaissance and Baroque instruments, a Flentrop organ for Warner Concert Hall, and several Steinway concert grand pianos.
As Dean of the Conservatory, Danenberg served on the Education Commission under President Fuller (1971-73), the Governance Commission (1972-74); the Committee to Review Faculty Service (1973-74); and the Committee to Review Minority Programs (1974) of the General Faculty. He was a member of the Conservatory Faculty Council (1950-53, 1957-58, 1963-66, 1968-70) and the General Faculty Council (1963-68), the main governing bodies of the Conservatory and the College as a whole, and served on three Search Committees for Conservatory deans and three for Oberlin presidents. His abilities as a listener rather than a vocal participant distinguished his committee service.
On April 7, 1975, Emil Danenberg was elected to a five-year term as the eleventh President of Oberlin College, replacing Acting President Ellsworth C. Carlson. He was reappointed President in April 1979 and held the post until September 1981, when he went on a leave of absence for health reasons. Danenberg's tenure followed the tumultuous Fuller years, in which faculty power had been seriously challenged by the President. During the Danenberg administration, the strength of the faculty was reaffirmed and comity restored between faculty and the office of the President. Danenberg succeeded in winning back faculty trust not only because he understood faculty concerns, having shared them for thirty years, but also because of his record as a capable, even extraordinary, administrator, praised for his pragmatism, diplomatic skills, and tireless devotion to Oberlin College.
During the six years of the Danenberg presidency, the college was able to stabilize its financial position, achieve a balanced budget, and eliminate previous budget deficits. The Development Office reported the highest level of alumni giving in the college's history. In May 1979, Oberlin launched what was then the largest fundraising campaign in its history, a drive to raise nineteen million by 1983. Nine million was earmarked for professorships, faculty salaries, scholarships, and academic programs, all areas named by Danenberg as requiring increased funding, both to enhance faculty morale and to burnish Oberlin's outside reputation. The McCandless Curriculum Enrichment Funds, made available from the four million dollar McCandless Estate, were designated as restricted gift funds, allowing the president greater freedom to direct curricular development. Among the academic programs instituted were the Inter-Arts program and the Upward Bound program (1979) for educationally disadvantaged students. Danenberg was instrumental in funding a Black Arts/Theater position and in supporting the growth of a women's studies curriculum. Particularly sensitive to the special needs of handicapped students, Danenberg promoted Special Services to Disadvantaged Students and the Office of Developmental Services.
In September 1981, President Danenberg was diagnosed with cancer of the liver and began receiving chemotherapy treatment. His health rallied for a brief time but declined suddenly in December 1981. He died in Oberlin's Allen Memorial Hospital on January 16, 1982. James L. Powell (b. 1935), Danenberg's Vice President and Provost, served as Acting President from September 1981 until the summer of 1983. Although Powell was a candidate for the presidency, he withdrew his name from consideration to accept the position of President of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Mary Ann (Brezsny) Danenberg was born in Detroit, Michigan on April 21, 1927. Developing a love of music as a child she studied piano and harp at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan graduating in 1944. Prior to attending Oberlin College, Mary Ann spent a summer at the National Music Camp studying under composer and pianist Percy Grainger. Entering Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in 1944, Mary Ann received her Bachelor of Music degree in 1948. She taught piano in North Carolina for a short period of time before returning to Oberlin College and receiving her Master of Music degree in 1951.
On June 23, 1951, Emil Danenberg, then an Assistant Professor of Pianoforte, and Mary Ann Brezsny married. The Danenbergs remained in Oberlin, where Mary Ann continued to teach piano privately and on an adjunct basis at the Conservatory. Her teaching appointments at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music included Instructor in Pianoforte (1952-1959), Assistant Professor of Pianoforte (1970-1974), and Teacher of Pianoforte (1977-1988). After Emil Danenberg became the eleventh president of Oberlin College, Mary Ann’s duties grew to include hostess of the President’s Residence.
Emil and Mary Ann Danenberg supported a number of musical and educational related causes, including the Danenberg Residency at Oberlin College. After the death of Emil in 1982, Mary Ann played an integral role in the development of the Danenberg Oberlin-in-London program. In 1983 she received the Alumni Award for distinguished service to Oberlin College.
Mary Ann Danenberg died April 24, 2008. She was 81.
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The papers of Emil C. Danenberg (1917-1982) and Mary Ann Danenberg (1927-2008) document the lives and careers of the Danenbergs over an 82 year period. The arrangement of the Danenberg’s papers into two subgroups—the papers of Mary Ann Danenberg and the papers of Emil C. Danenberg—does not diminish the collaborative nature of the couple’s work. Although the bulk of the materials found in the collection relate to Mary Ann’s education and professional life, significant material relating to Emil’s professional life outside of the presidency at Oberlin College can be found in the collection.
The Danenberg Papers consist of materials related to programs supported by the Danenbergs, correspondence, photographs and scrapbooks, committee minutes, lecture notes and exams, performance programs and reviews collected created by the Danenbergs during their youth and education at Oberlin College and their careers and service at Oberlin College.
The collection has been divided into two subgroups: 1. The Papers of Mary Ann Danenberg and 2. The Papers of Emil C. Danenberg. Subgroup 1 includes the following series: 1. Danenberg Oberlin-in-London Program; 2. Danenberg Residency; 3. Miscellaneous Files; 4. Photographs, which is further divided into subseries: 1. Prints and Framed Item and 2. Slides, and the final series 5. Scrapbooks. Subgroup 2 includes the following series: 1. Professional Papers; 2. Teaching Notebooks and Files; 3. Performances; 4. Oberlin College Presidency; 5. General Correspondence; 6. Photographs and 7. Student Papers.
The scrapbooks created by Mary Ann Danenberg during her undergraduate and graduate education at Oberlin College are complete and provide insight into student life on the campus during World War II. Materials included in these scrapbooks provide information on social activities, athletic events and performances presented by Oberlin College and include newspaper clippings that document the history of Oberlin College through a student’s perspective.
Throughout their life together Emil and Mary Ann Danenberg supported several educational and music related programs and causes. A significant program was that of the Danenberg Residency, created in 1981 as a restricted endowed fund in the Conservatory of Music that provided the residency of visiting artists at the Conservatory of Music. Residencies included performers from the Artist Recital series who taught maters classes; ensemble conductors invited for special performances; and individual performers or ensemble groups resident on campus. Papers relating to this program include account statements, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and programs and can be found in Series 2, Danenberg Residency.
Instituted as a memorial for Emil Danenberg, the Danenberg Oberlin-in-London Program was established in 1983. The Danenberg Oberlin-in-London Program was developed to provide Oberlin students the option of spending one semester at a teaching centre in London. Students that participated in the program were taught a unique curriculum by Oberlin faculty members, which provided an innovative and interdisciplinary pedagogical opportunity. Annual reports and budget reports, correspondence, and program announcements and pamphlets documenting this program can be found in Series 1. Danenberg Oberlin-in-London Program.
Emil Danenberg’s professional life outside of the presidency of Oberlin College is documented throughout the second subgroup. Prior to becoming the eleventh president of Oberlin College, Emil Danenberg taught a number of courses at the Conservatory of Music. Administrative materials relating to his position on the Conservatory faculty include Conservatory Council minutes and correspondence and a variety of materials relating to the Piano department. These materials can be found in Series 1. Professional Papers.
Additional significant materials relating to Emil Danenberg’s role as a faculty member and teacher can be found in Series 2. Teaching Notebooks and Files. Materials include lecture notes, handouts and exams for the Piano Literature course taught at Oberlin College and several other colleges throughout the United States. Such material provides insight into the courses taught by faculty at Oberlin College and their methods of teaching.
The years of Danenberg’s presidency of Oberlin College are best documented by his presidential papers, Record Group 2/11, in the Oberlin College Archives. The materials found in this collection relate primarily to Emil’s first year as president and include correspondence relating to his appointment as president of the college, newspaper clippings and a scrapbook containing clippings, correspondence and photographs. These materials can be found in Series 4. Oberlin College Presidency.
Emil Danenberg’s career as a pianist is documented in Series 3. Performances and materials include programs and recital reviews from Emil’s performances.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Subgroup I. Papers of Mary Ann Danenberg, 1926-2008
Series 1. Danenberg Oberlin-in-London Program, 1986-2005 (0.68 l.f.)
This series contains annual reports, budget reports, correspondence, committee records, program announcements, pamphlets, a poster and a scrapbook relating to the Danenberg Oberlin-in-London Program. Materials in this series are arranged alphabetically. A restricted file as noted in the inventory.
Series 2. Danenberg Residency, 1990-2001 (0.2 l.f.)
Arranged alphabetically, this series contains account statements, correspondence, clippings and a poster relating to the Danenberg Residency.
Series 3. Miscellaneous Files, 1928-2008 (0.04 l.f.)
This series contains materials on Mary Ann Danenberg’s early life, her Alumni Medal received from Oberlin College, general correspondence and the Underground Railroad Project. Materials found in this series are arranged alphabetically.
Series 4. Photographs, 1948-2004 (0.4 l.f.)
Materials in this series are arranged into two subseries: 1. Prints and Framed Item, 1948-2004; and 2. Slides, 1957-1975. Within the both subseries the materials are arranged alphabetically. Materials found in Subseries 1 include prints of Mary Ann Danenberg’s Master of Music commencement in 1951 at Oberlin College, portraits of Mary Ann and Emil Danenberg, autographed photographs of musicians and images of the President’s House at Oberlin College. Materials found in Subseries 2 include slides of Mary Ann and Emil Danenberg with a number of individuals in California, Europe and Oberlin and slides from Oberlin College’s commencement in 1967 and 1975. Detailed descriptions of slides can be found in the inventory.
Series 5. Scrapbooks, 1935-1972 (1.33 l.f.)
This series contains scrapbooks created by Mary Ann Danenberg documenting her early life, all four years of her undergraduate education at Oberlin College, her Masters of Music at Oberlin College, her wedding to Emil Danenberg in 1951, and her teaching at Oberlin College. Other scrapbooks in this series document a year spent at Queens College from 1948 to 1949, a trip to California in 1955 and a collection of postcards received from friends. The scrapbooks consist of a wide variety of materials and include newspaper clippings, programs from musical and theatrical events, postcards, photographs and memorabilia from Mary Ann’s time as a student at Oberlin College, such as dance cards, course schedules and invitations.
Subgroup II. Papers Relating to Emil C. Danenberg, 1947-1980
Series 1. Professional Papers, 1950-1973 (0.2 l.f.)
The Professional Papers series is arranged alphabetically and consists of materials relating to Emil Danenberg’s professional activities as a professor at Oberlin College. Materials in this series include committee files, Conservatory Council correspondence and minutes, Oberlin College salary schedules and lists and materials from the piano department that include freshman and sophomore committee lists, concerto preliminaries and departmental correspondence and notices.
Series 2. Teaching Notebooks and Files, 1947-1969 (0.8 l.f.)
Arranged alphabetically, this series contains a variety of materials relating to Emil Danenberg’s teaching of Piano Literature at Oberlin College, the University of North Carolina, Julliard and the University of Idaho. Materials in this series include notebooks containing material for lectures on Music History, exams, composer sheets, handouts, Freudlishes Mimeographs, collected newspaper clippings and papers, sample examinations for Professor Danenberg’s Music History 11-12 and Music Theory I and II classes. Also found here are lesson plans, notes, and reading lists for his courses (1944-47, 1952) as well as finger coordination exercises for piano (n.d.). The series also includes a restricted box containing lists of student grades for Piano Literature courses as well as seven grade books for Danenberg’s Music History classes, covering the years 1956-1965. An additional spiral notebook is found here that lists individual grades of Professor Danenberg’s students from 1945-70.
Series 3. Performances, 1951-1980 (0.04 l.f.)
The Performances series is arranged alphabetically and includes a variety of materials relating to Emil Danenberg’s performances as a pianist. Materials found in this series include a Miami University poster, a New York Times poster, programs from performances and recital reviews.
Series 4. Oberlin College Presidency, 1974-1975 (0.06 l.f.)
This series contains materials relating to Emil Danenberg’s presidency at Oberlin College. Arranged alphabetically, materials found in this series include correspondence relating to his appointment as president of the college, newspaper clippings and a scrapbook containing clippings, correspondence and photographs.
Series 5. Correspondence, 1967-1977 (0.04 l.f.)
This series contains general correspondence and includes Christmas cards, postcards, and an invitation to a concert at the White House presented by President Jimmy Carter.
Series 6. Photographs, 1944-1980 (0.04 l.f.)
This series contains a number of portraits of Emil Danenberg throughout his life.
Series 7. Student Papers, (0.2 l.f.)
This series contains materials related to Emil Danenberg’s student days at the University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., 1942; A.M., 1944). In addition to class reading lists and notes, the series includes book reports and article reviews written by Emil Danenberg (1941-3, n.d.) for classes at UCLA. Writings reviewed by Danenberg include, “On the Origin and Function of Music,” by Herbert Spencer and, “Music, History, and Ideas,” by Hugo Leichtentritt, among many others. Also housed in the series is an undated copy of an essay/thesis with working title, “Motival Relationships Between the First Division and the Elaboration in the Works of Beethoven,” by Emil Danenberg.