William Lawrence papers
Collection Overview
The papers relate to the professional career and personal life of William Lawrence, his wife, Lillian Thompson Lawrence, and her family, the Thompsons. Items of particular note are a series of concert programs dated 1919-1978, which include programs for performances by Lawrence, Marian Anderson, Roland Hayes, Lawrence Brown, and other notable black musicians, including his student, the blind vocalist Sadie Knight; a variety of sheet music arranged and composed by Lawrence and several notable black musicians, including a handwritten Cantata by Jean Stor; and several autographed photographs of notable black musicians, including W. C. Handy and William Grant Still. Correspondents include Alain Locke, Countee Cullen, Marian Anderson, W. H. Brennan, Roland Hayes, and Todd Duncan. Miscellaneous items in the collection include radio and play scripts of productions, some directed by Lawrence.
2. Music Materials
3. Correspondence
4. Scripts
5. Associates and Pupils
6. Miscellaneous Materials
7. Photographs
Dates
- Creation: 1919-1988
Creator
- Lawrence, William, 1895-1981 (Person)
Language of Materials
Material is in English
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright Notice
The nature of the Avery Research Center's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Avery Research Center claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Biographical Note
William Lawrence (1895-1981) was born in Charleston, South Carolina to Merton and Sylvia Lawrence. He studied piano, organ, and voice at the Avery Institute (early 1900s), at the New England Conservatory of Music (1913-1916) and in Paris, France (1926-1931). He worked briefly at South Carolina State Agricultural and Mechanical College (later South Carolina State University) in Orangeburg, and accompanied such well-known singers as Marian Anderson and Roland Hayes. He also taught piano and voice, composed music, and gave instrumental and vocal recitals in Europe and America. He died in 1981, and his remains rest at Trinity Church Crematory in New York.
Extent
0.75 linear feet (2 archival boxes)
Abstract
William Lawrence (1895-1981) was born in Charleston, South Carolina to Merton and Sylvia Lawrence. He studied piano, organ, and voice at the Avery Institute (early 1900s), at the New England Conservatory of Music (1913-1916) and in Paris, France (1926-1931). He accompanied such well-known singers as Marian Anderson and Roland Hayes. He also taught piano and voice, composed music, and gave instrumental and vocal recitals in Europe and America. He died in 1981, and his remains rest at Trinity Church Crematory in New York. The papers relate to the professional career and personal life of William Lawrence, his wife, Lillian Thompson Lawrence, and her family, the Thompsons. Items of particular note are a series of concert programs dated 1919-1978, which include programs for performances by Lawrence, Marian Anderson, Roland Hayes, Lawrence Brown, and other notable black musicians, including his student, the blind vocalist Sadie Knight; a variety of sheet music arranged and composed by Lawrence and several notable black musicians, including a handwritten Cantata by Jean Stor; and several autographed photographs of notable black musicians, including W. C. Handy and William Grant Still. Correspondents include Alain Locke, Countee Cullen, Marian Anderson, W. H. Brennan, Roland Hayes, and Todd Duncan. Miscellaneous items in the collection include radio and play scripts of productions, some directed by Lawrence.
Collection Arrangement
1. Biographical Material
2. Music Materials
3. Correspondence
4. Scripts
5. Associates and Pupils
6. Miscellaneous Materials
7. Photographs
Acquisitions Information
Donated by Albert Hunt, Jr., November, 1994
Processing Information
Processed by Felice Knight, 2006
Encoded by Melissa Bronheim, July 2010
Edited by Melissa Bronheim, July 2010
Funding from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation supported the processing of this collection.
Funding from the Council on Library and Information Resources supported the collection processing and encoding of this finding aid.
Source
- Hunt, Albert, Jr. (Donor, Person)
Subject
- Anderson, Marian, 1897-1993 (Person)
- Cullen, Countee, 1903-1946 (Person)
- Duncan, Todd (Person)
- Handy, W. C. (William Christopher), 1873-1958 (Person)
- Hayes, Roland, 1887-1977 (Person)
- Locke, Alain, 1885-1954 (Person)
- Still, William Grant, 1895-1978 (Person)
- Stor, Jean (Person)
- Brown, Lawrence, 1893-1972 (Person)
- Knight, Sadie (Person)
- Lawrence, Lillian Thompson (Person)
- Thompson family (Family)
- Title
- Inventory of the William Lawrence Papers, 1919 - 1988
- Author
- Processed by: Felice Knight; machine-readable finding aid created by: Melissa Bronheim
- Date
- © 2010
- Description rules
- Dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English
- Sponsor
- Funding from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and the Council on Library and Information Resources supported the collection processing and encoding of this finding aid.
Repository Details
Part of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture Repository
125 Bull Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424 United States
843-953-7608
averyresearchcenter@cofc.edu