Skip to main content

Card Catalogue for Music Collection, undated

 File — Box: 1, Folder: 12
Identifier: Folder 12

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The George Howerton Papers, filling nine boxes, illuminate Howerton's life, career and interests. While the entirety of the collection ranges from 1923 to 1999, the bulk of the content lies between 1935 and 1971. The Papers fall into six general categories: 1) biographical information, 2) teaching materials, 3) programs and concert information, 4) information on clinics and festivals and programs from these occasions, 5) presentation and lectures, and 6) publications.

The biographical files include materials related specifically to George Howerton and also genealogical information about the Howerton family. In addition to the materials in the awards and certificates folder, a dropfront box (Box 9) holds oversized awards, plaques, and other materials. Clippings pertain to events such as Howerton's acceptance of a Steinway award in 1967 and articles reporting his activities with noted friends. Press releases relate to Howerton's career at Northwestern. The genealogical information, much of which was compiled by other family members, documents the Howertons back to around 1700. One folder specifically relates to the life and career of David H. Howerton, including teaching certificates and recommendation letters. The folder titled "Garden," which contains seed packets, magazine articles on gardening, and other materials, all meticulously organized in scrapbook fashion, demonstrates Howerton's love of nature. A slim general correspondence file contains a few letters from various employers and several friends. A card catalogue that Howerton compiled for his private musical library is also included in this category.

The teaching materials vary in their content as well. The folders contain some quizzes and tests, many pages of lecture and discussion notes, and copious amounts of hastily scrawled curriculum ideas and plans. There is also a comparison and analysis of J.S. Bach's Mass in b minor with the Missa Solemnis by Beethoven that Howerton prepared for an unidentified class. It should be noted that the lecture series, "Interrelation of the Arts," was not a formal class but an optional lecture given in the evenings in 1948, open to both the student body and the public.

The extensive program and concert information is organized by the performing groups if possible, in addition to date; otherwise they are organized only by date (as in the General Program folders). The few programs that did not bear George Howerton's name as conductor or participant were either sent to him by his students regarding their own musical achievements, or contained music that Howerton arranged and prepared for performances.

The clinics and festivals section is a subset of the programs and concert information section. Howerton was able, in many of the communities in which he worked, to give workshops for young people in performing groups and high schools. Some record of these workshops exists here in the form of programs and newspaper clippings. Also contained in this section are more programs, clippings, and records of his involvement with major music festivals such as the Ravinia Summer Music Festival, or the Salida-Aspen Concert Series.

Lectures consist of the final versions of presentations that Howerton made at banquets, conferences, or festivals and are unrelated to his course lectures.

Publications consist of reprints or clippings of magazine and newspaper articles that Howerton wrote, as well as information relating to the three books that he authored or on which he collaborated (see biography).

Finally, one folder contains sheet music that Howerton used in his choral programs. The music is predominantly for Christmas and other religious holidays.

Dates

  • undated

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is stored off-site and requires two business days advance notice for retrieval. Please contact the McCormick Library at specialcollections@northwestern.edu or 847-491-3635 for more information or to schedule an appointment to view the collection.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is stored at a remote campus location and requires two business days advance notice for retrieval. Please contact the McCormick Library at specialcollections@northwestern.edu or 847-491-3635 for more information or to schedule an appointment to view the collection.

Extent

From the Collection: 9.00 Boxes

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Library Details

Part of the Northwestern University Archives Repository

Contact:
Deering Library, Level 3
1970 Campus Dr.
Evanston IL 60208-2300 US
847-491-3635