Singing Their Way to the Top - The 1930 Men's Glee
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NEWS FLASH
March 8, 1930, New York City: The George Washington University's Men's Glee Club took first place at the 14th Annual Intercollegiate Glee Club Contest at Carnegie Hall. This was the first time that GW's Glee Club had competed. Not bad for rookies!
Although men's choral activity at GW dates back to 1899, it was not until the 1920s that the Men's Glee Club developed into a strong organization. Dr. Robert Harmon, who sang with the group in the early 1920s became its director in 1925. The group's activities were marked by various concerts in and around Washington with its first theater engagement, headlining at the Rialto Theater in 1925. Performances at Keith's Theater, the Annual National Vaudeville Actors Benefit show and the Earle Theater followed in the next few years. In 1927 the club sang in a mammoth midnight show given at Poli's Theater for the benefit of victims of the Mississippi flood disaster.
The 1929 Men's Glee Club began its yearly activities by holding a smoker at the Thomas Circle Club that consisted mostly of working men who attended evening classes. Despite their busy schedules, the 31 club members rehearsed every Tuesday and Thursday evening. There were a few outstanding voices, in particular the tenors--Dick Kilstein (who became the soloist for the group) Jack Perry and Bill Powell. Only a few members of the group had participated in any organized vocalizing, but they all loved to sing. The club members quickly learned that they had a great leader and good teacher in Doctor Harmon and a very patient accompanist in his wife, Grace.
By the spring of 1929 Dr. Harmon had molded the group into a first-class Glee Club. At a joint recital with the Columbia University Glee Club, the group learned about the Intercollegiate Glee Club Contest held annually in Carnegie Hall in New York City. Anxious to demonstrate their skill as a vocal group, the Men's Glee Club voted to enter the 1930 National Competition. However, only winners of regional contests were allowed to enter the competition. No regional contest existed in the District of Columbia in 1929, and there was no regional association to sponsor such an event.
Resolved to compete, the group was not deterred. Joining with the choral groups from Johns Hopkins and Catholic University, they organized the Mid-Atlantic Glee Club Association. The charter members of the Association elected the Hon. William H. DeLacy as association president and Winfield Weitzel, a GW vocalist, as the first executive secretary. The newly-organized association became an associate member of the Intercollegiate Musical Council and organized a regional contest. Three judges were selected, tickets sold and The George Washington University won. The Mid-Atlantic Association was short lived--only one year--but it had served its purpose. The GW club was off to New York City!
New York hosted the winners of twelve regional competitions. George Washington was up against some very stiff competition: Yale, Ohio State, Wesleyan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Dartmouth, Princeton, Columbia, Fordham, New York University, and Penn State. Since 1914, only five universities had won the national cup--Yale, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton and Wesleyan. George Washington was at Carnegie Hall for the first time. When the group arrived, they learned, to their surprise, that their rented black tuxedos were not the proper dress for the evening. All of the competitors were in white tie and tails. If not for the encouragement of Dr. Harmon, the group might have felt defeated before the contest began.
During the contest the judges and the contesting clubs were separated by a curtain so the identity of the organization would not be known. As an added precaution to prevent bias, each club appeared at three different times during the evening, rendering one of its selections at each appearance. The judges were Chairman Harvey Gaul of Pittsburgh, critic, composer and organist; Margarete Dessoff, conductor of the Madrigal Choir of the Institute of Musical Art, and the Adesdi and A Capella choruses; and Channing Lefebvre, organist of Trinity Church and leader of the University Glee Club of New York.
That evening Carnegie Hall was adorned with college banners. The contest followed its usual course with three appearances by each club. In the first appearance each club sang a song of its choosing. The GW chorus, second to perform, had selected "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming." When the last note of the song was finished, Dr. Harmon was beaming and the group knew that it was indeed in the running. The harmony was close to perfection and the group had forgotten its out-of-place attire.
The second part of the program was a selection required of all entries--"Hark Jolly Shepherds." The euphoria the GW Club felt after the first number was diminished following the second selection. Although the group felt they had performed well, their anxiety was growing. Their confidence was regained with their third appearance, singing the college song. "Hail GW," written by a member of the club, George Roth. (Mr. Roth also wrote the University's Alma Mater.)
During the tabulation of the judges' marks, the combined Glee Clubs, 400 members strong, sang "Hymn of Thanksgiving" under Mr. Lefebvre's direction. When the winners were announced, the top three were Ohio State University with 156.2 points, Yale with 156.4 and George Washington with 161.6 points. GW was the champion! The George Washington Men's Glee Club had carried off the highest honors with the greatest margin of victory in the contest's history.
Following their surprise victory, the club members were treated to many celebrations and special invitations. They were invited to appear at Villa Valle, Rudy Valle's swank nightclub, to sing over the CBS Radio Network. They returned home to congratulations from staff, faculty, and friends, an appearance for a week in the show at the Capital Theater, and a very successful sellout concert at the Mayflower Hotel. The club also made a Pathe news film set on the Mall. In May 1930 they were honored by faculty and students at a reception and dance in the Willard Hotel.
The determination and excellence shown by Dr. and Mrs. Harmon and the members of the 1930 Men's Glee Club would long be remembered by the University community. As for the GW participants in the Intercollegiate Glee Club Contest, 1930 would always remain a very special year.
The 1930 Men's Glee Club
Henry Amos
Daniel Beattie
Charles Buckingham
Raymond Coe
Thomas Crigler
Allan Crocker
Owen Cummings
Samuel Detwiler
Irvin Douglas
Robert Griest
Richard Hill
David Holther
Carroll Hughes
George Javis
Richard Kilstein
William May
Aubrey Minor
Norman Morgan
Benjamin Newton
John Perry
William Powell
George Roth
Hardie Seay
Frank Scrivener
Erith Smith
James Smith
Nevin Smoot
John Stuart
Douglas Taylor
Winfield Weitzel
George Wells
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Author or Source: G. David Anderson; University Archives subject files
Document Location: University Archives
Date Added to Encyclopedia: January 5, 2007
Prepared by: G. David Anderson, University Archivist and Historian
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