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By Kathryn Feazel, Kelly A. Carlson, and Scott Schwartz
Collection Overview
Title: Richard E Kent Music and Personal Papers, 1899-1996
ID: 26/20/107
Primary Creator: Kent, Richard E. (1899-1996)
Extent: 3.0 cubic feet
Arrangement: chronological by type of material
Date Acquired: 00/12/1994
Subjects: Alumni, Awards, Bands, Baseball, Compositions-Music, Concert Programs, Correspondence, Music, Music theater, New York City, Sousa, John Philip, Urbana, Illinois, Volunteer Illini Program
Formats/Genres: Arrangements (Music), Newspaper Clippings, Papers
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Consists of original and published music compositions and arrangements, correspondence, concert programs, memoirs, newspaper clippings, Sousa Band Fraternal Society newsletters, photographs, Volunteer Illini Projects awards, yearbooks, and appointment books, documenting Richard E. Kent's career with the Sousa Band. Included with Kent's published compositions is "On To The Goal, Illinois." Among Kent's original, unpublished compositions is a submission for the Mets official song, entitled "I Am A Mets Fan." In addition to his original compositions, Kent also arranged a number of works by a variety of composers including George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, and Oscar Hammerstein. Finally, newspaper clippings and awards attest to Kent's active, post-retirement participation with Urbana-Champaign area Volunteer Illini Projects.
Biographical Note
Richard E. Kent (1899-1996) was born on September 25, 1899, in Jacksonville Illinois. He grew up in a musical family; his father was director of the Bloomington (IL) High School Marching Band for many years. In 1914, the Kent family moved to Urbana, and he attended his last three years of high school at Urbana High School. In 1917, he enrolled at the University of Illinois. While attending the University, he was a member of the Marching Band, under the direction of Albert Austin Harding. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music, specializing in Piano, on June 15, 1921. In November of 1921, he withdrew from his post-graduate studies at the University to accept a professional position as second chair Alto Saxophone in the John Philip Sousa Band. Following two seasons with the Sousa Band, Kent continued his musical career, performing with combos in the Indianapolis (IN) area, including the Royal Peacock Orchestra. He moved to New York around 1921, and made a career as a music arranger with Radio-Keith-Orphem, and later the Southern Music Co. Upon his retirement from Southern Music in 1974, he and his wife, Nora Belle Phares, returned to Urbana. He was active with Volunteer Illini Projects, including the musical group the Heartlanders, until his death on March 19, 1996.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Acquisition Method:
Received in December 1994.
Other Note:
Note: A composer/title index for all the music is located in the control files.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Personal Papers and Ephemera, 1911-1995],
[
Series 2: Published Music and Oversized Items, ca. 1899-1959],
[All]
- Series 1: Personal Papers and Ephemera, 1911-1995
- Consists of original scores and arrangements by Richard Kent, diaries, concert programs, certificates, photographs, Sousa Band correspondence, Sousa Band Fraternal Society Newsletters, oral histories, daily planners, and memoires. Materials are arranged alphabetically by material type and chronologically within.
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Awards, 1974-1981
- Folder 2: Bachelor Thesis & related correspondence: The Development of American Popular Music, 1921
- Folder 3: Commencement & Dramatic Club Programs, Alumni Association Card (s): University of Illinois, 1916-33, 1971-84
- Folder 4: Concert Program & Program notes, Carnegie Hall, et. al., 1917, 1940-1962
- Folder 5: Concert Programs & Professional Documents: New York, ca. 1940-1960
- Folder 6: Concert Programs: University of Illinois Military Band, 1914-1923, 1933-1940
- Folder 7: Correspondence: Principal correspondents include Henry & Rose Kent, Nora Belle Kent, et. al., includes funeral arrangements for Richard E. Kent, 1929-1990
- Folder 8: Funeral & Cemetery Materials: William Arthur Phares (father of Nora Belle Kent), 1949-1960
- Folder 9: Health Insurance Card & Documents: Nora Belle Kent, 1990
- Folder 10: Last Will & Testament and related documents: Richard & Nora Belle Kent, 1976, 1982
- Folder 11: Marriage License & Related documents: Richard & Nora Belle Kent, 1929
- Folder 12: Memoirs: Richard E. Kent, 1992-1995
- Folder 13: Music: Arrangements by Richard E. Kent, alpha. by title, A-H
- Folder 14: Music: Arrangements by Richard E. Kent, alpha. by title, I-Z
- Folder 15: Music: Compositions by Richard E. Kent, includes "I am a Met's Fan," Kent's submission for the Met's official song
- Folder 16: Music: Published
- Folder 17: Music: Transcriptions by Richard E. Kent, alpha. by composer, A-F
- Folder 18: Music: Transcriptions by Richard. E. Kent, alpha. by composer, G-P
- Folder 19: Music: Transcriptions by Richard E. Kent, alpha. by composer, Q-Z
- Folder 20: Newspaper Clippings, 1927-1974
- Folder 21: Passport Documents, 1965-1969
- Folder 22: Photographs: Richard E. Kent and family, ca. 1912-1922, 1940
- Folder 23: Sousa Band Correspondence, contracts, photographs & newspaper clippings, 1911-1923, 1954-1995
- Folder 24: Sousa Band Fraternal Society Correspondence & Membership Cards, 1944-1984
- Folder 25: Sousa Band Fraternal Society Newsletters, 1945-1976
- Folder 26: Sousa Band Fraternal Society Newsletters, 1977-1989
- Folder 27: Sousa Oral History Project: Interview & Newspaper Clippings, 1980-1994
- Folder 28: Yearbook, Newspaper, & Reunion: Urbana High School, 1916-1917, 1980
- Box 4: Daily Planners: 1974-1993
- Box 5
- Folder 1: University of Illinois Concert Band Medal, Undated
- Folder 2: Carribean "Air-Sea" Cruise Diary and Expense Report, 1972
- Folder 3: List of Important Popular Music of the Twentieth Century, Undated
- Folder 4: Correspondence, Kent Family Information, Kent/Danner Interview, 1990
- Folder 5: Story of Richard E. Kent, Sr., Undated
- Folder 6: Newspaper Clipping and Ephemera, ca. 1975-1995
- Folder 7: "Variety" Magazine and New York Times, altered by Richard Kent, Jr., 1991
- Folder 8: Marriage License (Kent/Phares) and Certificate of Military Service, 1929 and 1966
- Folder 9: Life Insurance Policies and Related Documents, ca. 1946-1984
- Series 2: Published Music and Oversized Items, ca. 1899-1959
- Consists of published music collected by Kent and oversized materials. Materials are arranged alphabetically by composer last name.
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Journal Articles, "Globe-Trotting Incidents," by John Philip Sousa, and "Around the World with Sousa"
- Folder 2: Untitled Sonata, by Richard E. Kent
- Folder 3: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, A: Anonymous-Arlen
- Folder 4: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, B: Barroso-Bullard
- Folder 5: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, C: Carmichael-Coward
- Folder 6: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, D-F: D'Hardelot-Friml
- Folder 7: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, G-J: Gershwin-Joplin
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, K-L: Kalman-Loewe
- Folder 2: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, M-P: Madriguera-Prado
- Folder 3: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, R:
- Folder 4: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, S: INT Saens-Styne
- Folder 5: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, T-Y: Tilzer-Youse
- Box 5
- Folder 10: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, B
- Folder 11: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, C-H
- Folder 12: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, K-P
- Folder 13: Published Sheet Music, alpha. by composer, R-W
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Personal Papers and Ephemera, 1911-1995],
[
Series 2: Published Music and Oversized Items, ca. 1899-1959],
[All]
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