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• John H. Beckerman
• Harris V. Bergh
• Richard E. Brittain
• Forrest L. Buchtel, Sr.
• Harry Charles
• Elver J. Fitchhorn
• Valerie Forster Gorski
• James Gilworth
• Ed Grabow
• Mark Grauer

Collections A-G

John H. Beckerman Collection

John H. Beckerman was past president of Vandercook College of Music, from 1950/51 through 1966. He was also a member of the faculty, teaching woodwind methods courses. Beckerman received his Bachelor of Science degree from Lewis Institute (later to merge into Illinois Institute of Technology) circa 1928.

The collection includes materials created by Beckerman for the classes he taught at VanderCook College of Music and method books or other materials owned by Beckerman that contain his personal annotations or additions.

0.530 cubic feet (2 boxes)

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Richard E. Brittain, Papers

Richard (Dick) E. Brittain was born in Frankfort, Indiana in 1917. He enrolled in VanderCook College of Music in 1935, and by his third year at was assigned teaching duties which included directing the concert band. As H.E. Nutt’s “right hand man”, Brittain was a vital part of the College’s success and its involvement with the Midwest Band Clinic. He served as a member the Clinic’s Board of Directors and was presented the coveted Midwest Medal of Honor. Prior to his retirement in 1988, Dick had led the VanderCook Band in 37 Midwest performances. He was a significant part of VanderCook for 53 years, serving as President, Dean, band director, and conducting, theory, and applied woodwind instructor.

This collection includes Brittain’s certificate of honorary membership in Kappa Kappa Psi fraternity, and a collection of concert programs featuring VanderCook alumni.

0.464 cubic feet (2 boxes)

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Forrest Lawrence Buchtel, Sr., Papers

One of the most prolific writers of school band music, Buchtel studied privately with H.A. VanderCook. He received his Bachelor and Master of Music Education degrees from the VanderCook College of Music and began teaching there in 1931. He also taught in the public schools, including Lane Tech and Amundsen HS. Lyons Band Instrument Company hired Buchtel to write “Melody Fun,” the instruction book that helped popularize the tonette, a plastic pre-band instrument.

Series include manuscripts, handwritten or photocopies, of several compositions or arrangements by Forrest L. Buchtel, Sr.

0.379 cubic feet (1 box)

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Harry Charles, Papers

Harry Charles, class of 1953 (MMEd), donated this collection of historic VanderCook materials in the fall of 2001.

The collection consists of photographs, concert programs, and student notebooks dating from the late 1940s and early '50s.

0.287 cubic feet (1 box)

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Elver J. Fitchhorn Collection

Elver J. Fitchhorn was born in Pulaski County, Indiana on July 3, 1896. He was a former French horn player with the John Phillip Sousa band. Early in his career, he played violin in theaters. He took classes at VanderCook School of Music, entering in September 1915, up to 1936. He studied personally with Hale VanderCook. Fitchhorn was regarded as the “father of the pre-band instruments” (the saxette and song flute). He also patented a molded plastic fipple-flute in 1937. He was bandmaster in the Delaware, Ohio City Schools from 1928 to 1938. Later he served as educational director for C.G. Conn Ltd. In 1936 the School Musician rated him one of the 10 outstanding band masters in the United States. He received the National Band Association “citation of excellence in 1976. He died in 1985 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Series includes the book, “Music in Institutions,” by Willem van de Wall (New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1936), inscribed by the author to Fitchhorn.

0.232 cubic feet (1 box)

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Valerie Forster Gorski Collection

Valerie Forster Gorski is the daughter of Thelma Nutt and step-daughter of Hubert E. Nutt, co-founder and past president of VanderCook College of Music. The collection consists of scrapbooks, photographs, correspondence and other materials relating to Hubert E. Nutt’s life and career.

Series include photographs, H.E. Nutt scrapbooks/notebooks, ephemera, Nutt correspondence, VanderCook College and H.E. Nutt administrative records, VanderCook College concert programs/flyers, H.E. Nutt concert programs (non-VanderCook College performances), and miscellaneous materials.

3.055 cubic feet (9 boxes)

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James Gilworth, Papers

James Gilworth was President of VanderCook College of Music from 1981-1989. He was also a member of the teaching faculty.

Series include Midwest Band Clinic materials.

1.407 cubic feet (2 boxes)

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Ed Grabow, Papers

Ed Grabow received his B.M.Ed. from VanderCook College of Music in 1961, and his M.M.Ed. from VCM IN 1979. Collection includes class notes, textbooks, music, and other materials Mr. Grabow acquired while he was a student.

The collection consists of several boxes of class notes, textbooks, music, and other materials Mr. Grabow acquired while he was a student at VanderCook College of Music in the late 1970's. His documents demonstrate the curriculum at VanderCook at this time. They include teaching materials developed by many of VCM's noteworthy faculty such as H.E. Nutt, Clifford Lillya and Haskell Harr.

1.407 cubic feet (2 boxes)

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Mark Grauer Collection

Series include the Joseph Bergeim papers: materials obtained by Mark Grauer at an estate sale. Joseph Bergeim participated in a correspondence course from VanderCook School of Music during 1923. Collection consists of materials pertaining to the VanderCook correspondence course in band and orchestra directing, as well as other correspondence courses taken at various music schools.

0.379 cubic feet (1 box)

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