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William Dawson:

An Introduction

MARK HUGH MAL O NE

Mr. Dawson and Me before delving again into his memory and

What a privilege to interview William the personal archives housed in his home.
Dawson five times between 1979 and 1981, Myriad copies of years of correspondence,
to write the seminal work on his life, and historical artifacts, and other ephemera
to share his educational influence. When I were a treasure-trove of documentation of
began doctoral studies in music education, the extraordinary and successful life of a
I had already selected Dawson as my dis- performer, pedagogue, and composer.

sertation topic and wrote to ask if I could Once the dissertation manuscript was
visit to gather information to write about complete, I asked Dawson to peruse the
him. In his response, Dawson invited me content, who then shared the work with his
to his home in Tuskegee, Alabama, yet de- former teacher at Tuskegee Institute and
flected the importance of the project by subsequent colleague, Bess Bolden Wal-
saying, “I don’t know what you’re going to cott, not only for grammar suggestions,
write about!” 1 but historical accuracy. Walcott, who was
hired out of Oberlin College in 1908 by
During each day-long visit, I spent hours Tuskegee Founder, Booker T. Washington,
conversing with Dawson and feverishly was ninety-five years old when I met her
writing notes, as he would not permit me and earned her approval. Even then, the
to audio record our sessions. He stopped nonagenarian was still “at the top of her
his sharing only briefly for us to sit down to game.” 2
a tasty lunch prepared by his wife, Cecile,

Mark Hugh Malone
Co-president, The Meistersingers of Mississippi
Author, William Levi Dawson: American Music Educator
(University Press of Mississippi, 2023)

6 CHORAL JOURNAL September 2024 Volume 65 Number 2