Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Silvia, John, Collection, 1910-1925, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of concertina and oboe sheet music along with the Chemnitzer concertina belonging to John Silvia.

John Silvia was born in Radley, Kansas to Italian immigrants, in 1892. He grew up in a coal mining town and became a miner at the age of 15. In his spare time, Silvia enjoyed baseball and playing the clarinet. In 1913, he married Ann Stockinger, and soon began working as a mechanic in Radley. In 1916, Silvia went to Kansas City to study auto-mechanics, while Ann stayed in Radley with their daughter, Marie Kay. Walter McCray, a music professor and for whom …

Kneebone, James, Collection, 1872-1992, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of sheet music, operas, music theory, bibliographies, and recordings.

James C. Kneebone (1938-2005) was born in Pittsburg, Kansas where he studied music. Kneebone graduated from the Kansas State College of Pittsburg (today, Pittsburg State University) with a Bachelor of Music in 1961, and a Master of Music in 1962. He was married to Suzanne M. Thompson (1944-2014). Kneebone collected sheet music, operas, and long plays. He also wrote a dissertation focusing on Ernst Krenek’s music.

Vollen, Gene, Papers, 1968-1990, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection consists of letters, photographs, lectures, programs, audio recordings, and newspapers primarily relating to the life and career of Eric Vaughn.

A native of Michigan, Dr. Gene Vollen (1933-) attended Michigan State University, where he earned degrees in music education and theory/composition. His doctoral studies were completed in 1970 at North Texas State University, focusing on musicology with a minor in composition. Listed among his academic honors is a Fulbright Fellowship to the Sorbonne in 1965-66.

Prior to his appointment at Pittsburg State University (PSU) in 1970, Dr. Vollen taught in the music departments of Union University in Jackson, …

Thuenemann, Margaret, Collection, 1988-1999, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This collection consists of music and teaching resources relating to the career of PSU music professor Margaret Thuenemann.

Margaret Thuenemann (1919-2002) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended the Cincinnati public schools, graduating from West Night High School. She went on to study music at the Cincinnati College of Music. There, she received her Bachelor of Degree in 1946, and later the Post-Graduate Diploma and the prestigious Springer Gold Medal of Honor for outstanding achievement in voice. Opportunities for further study were made possible by a Fulbright Grant which took her to Munich in 1953. After a successful performance career …

Vanlandingham, Nada Pauline, Collection, Circa 1937-1988, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The collection consists of photographs, music books, and personal documents relating to the life and career of PSU alum Nada Pauline Vanlandingham.

Nada Pauline Vanlandingham (1916-2002) was born in Olathe, Kansas. She graduated from Ottawa High School in Ottawa, Kansas. After Attending Ottawa University for two years, Vanlandingham transferred to Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg (today’s Pittsburg State University), where she graduated with her Bachelor of Music degree in 1938. Her principal instrument was the double bass. She went on to earn her Master of Music degree from University of Kansas. Vanlandingham began her public school teaching career in …

Allegro Music Club Collection, 1937-1967, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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This is collection consists of newspaper clippings, yearbooks, photographs, and organization documents related to the Allegro Music Club of Parsons, Kansas

The Allegro Music Club was a women’s musical organization formed in 1937 in Parsons, Kansas. Their intent was to “bring together lovers of music and to maintain an interest in all music forms.” Often meeting in the home of one of the members, the club presented multiple music programs throughout the year, both privately and for the public. The club mainly focused on classical music, however they did present other genres of music on certain occasions. The Allegro Music …

Treble Clef Club Collection. 1922-2015, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of the club’s meeting minutes, secretary and treasurer’s notes, programs, yearbooks, scrapbooks and music sheets.

The Treble Clef Club was chartered in Pittsburg, Kansas in 1904 by women interested in the study of music. The club originally agreed to have no more than 20 members who would meet twice a month to study composers and perform their works. In 1908 the club expanded membership due to increased interest. The first junior club, for high school girls, was started in 1922 but did not succeed. The club tried again in 1944, creating a club with 28 girls. By 1964, …

Ruff, Walter Glen, Collection, 1883-1962, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of sheet music, guides, books, and other materials related to W. Glen Ruff and his music shop.

Walter Glen Ruff (1904-1989) was born in Kansas and graduated from Fort Hays State Teachers College. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Kansas in 1940. Following this, he taught instrumental and vocal music on both the high school and college level. Ruff served with the American Red Cross in India and Ceylon during World War II. Afterwards, he was head of the music department at Western Carolina Teachers College. In 1950, he moved back to Kansas at opened …

Rudesill, Henry, Papers, 1894-1895, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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These are the papers of Henry Rudesill consisting of correspondence and newspapers sent to him by his mother and father during his attendance at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, Ohio.

Henry Milton Rudesill was born on May 8, 1873 in Ashland, Ohio to Henrietta Rudesill and John C. Rudesill. In 1890, the family moved from Ohio to Hutchinson, Kansas. After receiving his music education degree from the University of Kansas School of Music, Rudesill moved to Oberlin, Ohio to attend the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. While at the Conservatory, Rudesill studied organ, piano, and harp, and was a member …

Fiddler's Fund Collection, 1970-1981, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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The collection of the Fiddler’s Fund consists of letters, newspaper clippings; article, meeting minutes, IRS tax information, deposit checks, non-profit filings, scholarship applications, and bank account balance reports for a musical-support organization.

Created in 1970, the Fiddler's Fund of Pittsburg Inc. was a non-profit organization (501c3) dedicated to raising money and providing scholarships for K-12 students in need of musical instruments and lessons. In 1980, after its dissolution, the Fiddler’s Fund donated its remaining funds to the Pittsburg State University Music Department for scholarships.

Purcell, Arleen, Collection, 1919-1991, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of documents and items related to Fort Scott and southeast Kansas, and Arleen Purcell’s travels and studies.

Arleen Purcell (1912-2001) was an elementary school teacher in Fort Scott, Kansas who collaborated in writing the musical Footprints on the Frontier. She was married to Ralph Emerson Purcell, with whom she had two sons. Purcell took great interest in local history and community organizations. In the 1970s, she took study abroad trips through Western Illinois University and the Kansas State College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) to South America.

Ruggles Family Collection, 1897-1964, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of music sheets, school work, handbooks, and children’s books.

James Ruggles (1933-2015) was born to George and Zelpha Ruggles in Pittsburg, Kansas. He graduated from Kansas State Teachers College (now Pittsburg State University) in 1953, and received his medical degree from the University of Kansas in 1957. From 1963 to 1965, Ruggles worked in the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. He then completed a two-year fellowship in Pathology at the University of Minnesota, and worked as a pathologist for 39 years. In 1991, he and Ramona Woolley married in Yankton, South Dakota. In his pastime, James enjoyed music, …

Whitehead, Bryan, Collection, 1948-2005, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of programs, documents, brochures, maps, and postcards relating to railroads, music, and Bryan K. Whitehead’s travels.

Bryan K. Whitehead (1925-2008) was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma to Joseph and Mary Miller Whitehead. He and his family moved to Pratt, Kansas in 1936 where he attended school until his high school graduation in 1942. Before attending Kansas State Teachers College of Emporia, Bryan worked as a Rock Island Railroad clerk. Bryan and Mary Hertlein were married in 1943. He served as a musician in the Army Air Corps during World War II, becoming an active musician among the community upon …

Richards, J. J., Collection, 1982-2007, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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Letters, photographs, papers, research, music, and music lists relating to the career and life of John Joseph Richards and other musicians such as Merle Evans, Karl King, and John Phillip Sousa.

Gray, Mary Virginia Holstine, Collection, 1901-1991, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A Collection of short stories and music produced, collected, and owned by Mary Virginia Holstine Gray.

Mary Virginia Erskine Holstine Gray was born on January 21^st, 1908 in Pittsburg, Kansas to Ralph and Myrta Erskine. She married Lawrence Holstine in 1931 and ran the Ritz Tavern with him until the late 1960s. In the mid-1940s she began to write her own music, and throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s she wrote short stories. In 1967, Lawrence Holstine passed away. After his death, Mary moved to Frontenac, Kansas. In 1971, she married Roland Gray, who passed away in …

Martin, Carolann, Collection, 1961-2019, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A Collection of VHS tapes, cassettes tapes, coursework, music, recordings, student essays and coursework belonging to Dr. Carolann Martin.

Carolann Martin was born on Nov. 20, 1935, in Woodward, Oklahoma to John C. Martin and Leah Shilling. In 1957, she received a scholarship from Oklahoma State University. From 1958-1961 she was appointed conductor for the local marine band, rising to the rank of 1^st Lieutenant. In 1964, she received her masters of arts from Ohio State University. 1977, she began her career in the music department at Pittsburg State University, while taking summer courses at the University of Arizona. …

Jarboe, Mary M., Collection, 1919-1947, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

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A collection of letters to Mary DeSchmidt Jarboe from Marcia, Henry, and Fred Crane, along with a book and papers from the MKT (Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad) Municipal Band Association.

Mary M. DeSchmidt Jarboe (1905-2002) was a musician who taught music from the age of 16 until she retired in 1970. During her life, Mary studied with music teachers in Parsons, Pittsburg, and Kansas City. Mary was the organist for the St. Mary’s and St. Patrick’s Catholic Churches and she was a member of the Daughters of Isabella and the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. She was friends with Colorado native Marcia …