Finding Aid for Richard E Kent Music and Personal Papers, 1899-1996 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

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: Materials are arranged into two series: Series 1) Personal Papers and Ephemera and Series 2) Published Music and Oversized Items. Series 1 is arranged by material type and chronologically therein. Series 2 is arranged alphabetically by composer last name.

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

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 Among Kent's original, unpublished compositions is a submission for the Mets official song, entitled "I Am A Mets Fan."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.

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.

Alumni
Awards
Bands
Baseball
Compositions-Music
Concert Programs
Correspondence
Music
Music theater
New York City
Sousa, John Philip
Urbana, Illinois
Volunteer Illini Program

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.