Originally hired in 1932 to teach psychology, Charles Warren Fox (1904-1983) soon was chosen by Director Howard Hanson to become Eastman’s first musicologist. Dr. Fox studied under the eminent musicologist Otto Kinkeldey at Cornell University. His own contributions ranged from writing important papers on the music of the Renaissance to helping found the American Musicological Society. He became known as one of the country’s foremost musicologists, and served as vice-president of the American Musicological Society and editor of its journal. The Music Library Association also enlisted Dr. Fox as its president from 1954-1956, during which time he edited its publication, Notes. During his long tenure at Eastman, he introduced thousands of students to music history—a subject that initially was a rather new scholarly pursuit. In his later years, he personally provided several graduate students with the means to travel to Italy for study. He also had a reputation for working closely with composers, providing insights into the music of an earlier time with which to enhance their own work. He remained on the faculty until his retirement in 1972. In 1979, Essays on Music for Charles Warren Fox, a collection of papers by many of Dr. Fox’s musicology colleagues, was published in his honor.
Eastman School of Music
