fbpx
Wikipedia

American Conservatory of Music

January 12, 2023

For the Orthodox Church of Belize institution based in Hammond, Indiana, and Belize, see American Conservatory of Music (Hammond, Indiana & Belize).

The American Conservatory of Music (ACM) was a major American school of music founded in Chicago in 1886 by John James Hattstaedt (1851–1931).[1] The conservatory was incorporated as an Illinois non-profit corporation. It developed the Conservatory Symphony Orchestra and had numerous student recitals. The oldest private degree-granting music school in the Midwestern United States, it was located in Chicago until 1991.

American Conservatory of Music
TypePrivate
Active1886 (1886)–1991 (1991)
Location
Chicago

That year, 1991, its board of trustees—chaired by Frederic Wilbur Hickman[2]—voted to close the institution, file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, liquidate the assets, and dissolve the corporation. The conservatory closed at the end of the semester, in May 1991.[3][4]

An organization based in Hammond, Indiana, uses the name "American Conservatory of Music" and identifies as the reorganized continuation of the Chicago institution. It also has a base in Belize that was founded in 1886 and is currently led by Theodora Schultze.[5]

History

John James Hattstaedt, a musician who had taught piano in Detroit, Michigan and St. Louis, Missouri, moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1875. A center of railroad lines connecting to the East Coast and the resource-rich Great Lakes area, it was booming as a center of business, industry and culture. In 1886 he established the American Conservatory of Music, which became the oldest private, degree-granting school of music in the Midwest.

Hattstaedt was founding president and continued his direction until he became ill, six months before his death in 1931. He had expanded the school, attracting talented faculty and students. A Conservatory Symphony Orchestra was developed. In addition to the regular faculty, the conservatory attracted artists who conducted master classes in their specialties. In 1931 the conservatory had 3,000 students.

In the later 20th century, the conservatory appeared to suffer from its lack of affiliation with a university, which would have provided access to a wider circle of programs and donors. But it still served urban students and in 1977 had 2,000 students. At least in the early 1970s, accredited academic coursework was provided by the University of Chicago Extension[6] which had classroom facilities in downtown Chicago's "Loop" district. After the late 1970s enrollment declined more markedly in the 1980s. Many other music schools were also under pressure and struggling financially. In 1986 ACM entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.[3]

Under the presidency of Vernon R. Nelson, the school moved to more modern quarters in the Stevens Building, 17 N. State Street, and attracted new faculty. He gained several major gifts from donors and foundations, including a $1 million grant from the Marquette Charitable Trust.[3]

But by spring of 1991, enrollment was down to 90 full-time students, 60 fewer than expected. The conservatory announced it would close in May at the end of the semester. Chicago Musical College offered contracts to many of the conservatory faculty, and offered to have students enroll there to complete their studies and degrees.[3]

Leadership

Conservatory presidents

  • 1886–1931: John James Hattstaedt (1851–1931)
  • 1935–1971: John Robert Hattstaedt (1887–1978), son of the founder, took over as president four years after his father's death. In between, his mother Kate Hattstaedt had served as president.[7]
  • 1971–1981: Leo Edward Heim (1913–1992) In 1981, the conservatory named him president emeritus.[8][9] But in 1987–1991, he was instrumental in the attempt to save the conservatory after it had filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 7.[10][11]
  • 1980–1987: Charles Ethelbert Moore (1930–1995),[12] a classical pianist who later taught at DePaul University, was president when the conservatory filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 1987.[13] Moore had joined the faculty in 1961 and became dean in 1972.
  • 1987–1989: Vernon R. Nelson (born 1945), a graduate of the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business, temporarily saved the conservatory, extending its life until 1991.[13][14]
  • 1989–1990: Steven J. Nelson (no relation to Vernon)
  • 1990–1991: Vernon R. Nelson

General directors

Deans of faculty

  • circa 1942: Heniot Levy
  • post-WWII to the late 1960s: Irwin Fischer[16]
  • circa mid-1980s: E. Harvey Jewell, DMA
  • 1972-1981: Leo Edward Heim
  • late 1980s: Carl L. Waldschmidt, PhD

Department deans

  • circa early 1900s: Adolf Weidig, associate director and dean of the department of theory[17]

Faculty, guest teachers and associates

For over a century, many prominent artists, including some who had their musical training in Europe, taught master classes in piano and other instruments at the American Conservatory. Among them were pianist Josef Lhévinne from the Soviet Union, a colleague of Sergei Rachmaninoff, and his student Adele Marcus. Both taught primarily at the Juilliard School in New York City.

From the post-WWII years to the late 1960s, Irwin Fischer, composer, pianist, and conductor, served as dean of faculty and conductor of the American Conservatory Orchestra. Violinist Scott Willits coached many members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1940 to 1974. Acclaimed pianist William Browning, heir of the Brahms-Schumann piano dynasty and one of the legendary pianists and teachers of the 20th century, was on faculty from 1957 to 1989. Pianist Wilhelmina Pouget, student of Walter Gieseking, specialized in late Romantic piano technique in the 1970s.

Notable faculty members

Alumni

Pulitzer Prize for Music recipients

Other notable alumni

Recipients of honorary doctorates

Former locations

1975–1991 restructuring efforts

1975 acquisition & 1983 sale of building

In 1975, using funds from its endowment, the conservatory acquired and renovated a 17-story, 105,400-square-foot "turn-of-the-century" office building at 116 S. Michigan for about $1.2 million and moved from the Fine Arts Building at 410 S. Michigan Avenue. The conservatory's strategy was to occupy part of the building and earn enough rent income to cover some losses. But that plan failed, and in 1983, the conservatory sold the building to developer Horwitz Matthews, Inc. — Tem H. Horwitz (born 1944) and E. Curtis Matthews Jr. (born 1943) — who launched their own $4.5 million renovation.[27] That year, they gave the conservatory, which had been occupying 25,000 square feet on 4-1/2 floors, two years to find new quarters for its 125 faculty members and 250 full-time and 800 part-time students.[25][28]

1987 Chapter 11 bankruptcy

In January 1987, the conservatory filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection; and shortly thereafter, Charles Moore, its president, resigned. Henry Regnery – an industrialist, publisher of conservative books, benefactor, and amateur cellist – asked Vernon Nelson to step in as acting president. Nelson – an engineer with an MBA from the University of Chicago – had, since 1986, been leading a group from the University of Chicago to design a business plan for the conservatory. Nelson agreed to serve as president for a short time on a pro-bono basis. Many of the directors resigned shortly after the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

Directors who stayed on during Chapter 11 reorganization

  • Henry Regnery (1912–1996) remained as chairman
  • Fred Hickman, (born 1927) an attorney and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy from 1971 to 1975 under Presidents Nixon and Ford
  • Leo Edward Heim (1913–1992), a career Conservatory faculty member and former president
  • Bernard James McKenna (1933–2010), the CEO of Sanwa Business Credit Corp, chaired in 1987 the conservatory's new building committee; he served as a Conservatory director from 1985 to 1992
  • Robert (Bob) Getz, a musician and alumnus

New directors who joined to help reorganization

Hickman's firm, Hopkins & Sutter, handled the bankruptcy, pro-bono.

Other directors

  • Ruth Anderson (née Teninga; born 1918), philanthropist from Hinsdale, Illinois, wife of Roger Allen Anderson (1919–2005)
  • Paul J. Henry (born 1953), Conservatory faculty member – classical guitar
  • Fumio Ralph Fujimoto (born 1923), partner (now retired), Ernst & Young
  • Norman A. Ross (1922–2008), second generation journalist & broadcaster, and son of Olympic swimmer Norman Ross

Efforts to reorganize

In 1987, Regnery led with a $1 million gift to the conservatory. Other foundations followed. This provided operating capital to run the conservatory during the restructuring. Under the Deanship of E. Harvey Jewell, DMA (born 1942),[29][30][31][32][33] the conservatory strengthened its programs, raised entrance requirements, recruited prominent faculty, passed a rigorous accreditation review in 1988 by the National Association of Schools of Music,[34] and cleared a probationary status placed earlier by the Illinois State Board of Education on the Bachelor of Music Education program.[35] After eighteen months, the conservatory had developed a survival plan and raised enough money to provide a balanced budget for three years. If the milestones were met, the conservatory would be able to function independently going forward. When Nelson expressed to the board his desire to leave his pro bono post, the board accepted it and launched a nationwide search for a new president and a dean. The board hired Steven J. Nelson, as president, and Carl L. Waldschmidt, PhD (1917–1995), the former dean, longtime music professor, and choral director from Concordia University in Chicago (retired 1987), as dean.[36] Steve Nelson had studied violin at Cleveland Institute of Music and had served as president of the Center for Creative Studies – Institute of Music and Dance in Detroit. After leaving the American Conservatory of Music, Steve Nelson served as vice president college of relations at Landmark College in Putney, Vermont. In 1998, he became head master at the Calhoun School in New York City. Vern Nelson remained on the board.

1991 Chapter 7 bankruptcy

By late 1990 it was clear to the board of directors that the milestones of the survival plan would not be met. In January 1991, the board reappointed Vern Nelson as president, pro bono. Grants totaling $2 million had been depleted by faculty salaries, student scholarships, and recruitment and development programs. Enrollment had fallen to 90 – down from 2,000 full-time in 1977. The board determined that, in order to survive, the conservatory would have to be merged with another entity. Discussions were held with the Northwestern University School of Music, which had an interest in developing a Downtown presence to house the performance department with better access to members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera. Discussions were also held with Roosevelt University to merge the conservatory with its Chicago Musical College.[4] The board felt that prospects were viable, but a merger of any sort was resisted by members of conservatory faculty.

Then, when faced with financial failure from, among other things, no viable operating funds or other prospects for survival, the board closed the school in 1991 and filed for protection under Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The main secured creditor was the landlord, Morris Kalish, who owned the Stevens Building at 17 N State Street, a 19-story building erected in 1913 which had housed the Chas A. Stevens Department Store. At the invitation of Kalish, the conservatory had taken up residence on the top two floors in 1987.[37]

Efforts to resurrect the bankrupt conservatory

References

  1. ^ Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (6th ed., revised), by Nicolas Slonimsky, Collier Macmillan Publishers.
  2. ^ Marquis Who's Who in America, 1992–1993 (47th ed.), Vol. 1, A–K, pg 1547, Reed Reference Publishing Company, New Providence, New Jersey (1992)
  3. ^ a b c d "All Out Of Miracles, Century-Old Music School Will Close In May", by John Richard von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, March 9, 1991
  4. ^ a b "Changing The Score, American Conservatory Gets Another Chance," by John Richard von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, July 28, 1991
  5. ^ "American Conservatory of Music". Americanconservatory.edu. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  6. ^ "University of Chicago Library". Guide to the University of Chicago University Extension Records 1892-1979. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  7. ^ "Obituaries: John Robert Hattstaedt", Chicago Tribune, p. C13, February 6, 1978
  8. ^ International Who's Who in Music and Musicians' Directory (10th ed.), Cambridge, England (1984)
  9. ^ Who's Who in American Music: Classical, R.R. Bowker, New York (1983)
  10. ^ "Leo Heim, 78; Helped Save American Conservatory of Music", Chicago Sun-Times, January 7, 1992
  11. ^ Who's Who in America, 1990–1991 (46th ed.), Marquis Who's Who, Wilmette, Illinois (1990)
  12. ^ "Charles E. Moore, DePaul Music Teacher," Chicago Sun-Times, January 31, 1995
  13. ^ a b "Ailing Music School Given An Encore – Numbers Man Rides To Rescue", by Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune, March 15, 1987
  14. ^ "How For-Profit Management Saved a Failing Institution", Nonprofit World, Jan–Feb 1988, Vol. 6 Issue 1, pg. 36-37
  15. ^ Buck, Dudley (2005). N. Lee Orr (ed.). American Victorian Choral Music. Series: Recent Researches in American Music, Vol. 53. A-R Editions, Inc. p. xx. ISBN 9780895795731.
  16. ^ "Irwin Fischer" (biography), American Composers Alliance (composers.com) (retrieved November 4, 2015)
  17. ^ Herringshaw's City Blue Book of Biography: Chicagoans of 1916, edited by Mae Felts Herringshaw, Chicago: Clark J. Herringshaw (publisher), 1916 OCLC 36048155
  18. ^ "Well-Known Musician, Composer to Give Recital Celebrating New Organ," by Jim Wrinn, The Charlotte Observer, November 9, 1986 (accessible via Newspapers.com; subscription required)
  19. ^ musicalartsindiana.org:"About"
  20. ^ "Hint to Singers," Wisconsin State Journal, col. 3, May 12, 1953
  21. ^ "Doctorate Awarded Native of Wyoming" (New York), Democrat and Chronicle, July 2, 1938, pg. 11
  22. ^ "Tauno Hannikainen, Conductor, Noted Sibelius Interpreter, Dies," The New York Times, October 13, 1968
  23. ^ Who's Who in America, Vol. 33 (1964–1965), pg. 93 Marquis Who's Who, Inc. OCLC 493777888 LCCN 04-16934 ISSN 0083-9396
  24. ^ "Long-ignored Composer George Perle Unfazed Standing In Pulitzer Spotlight," by John Richard von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, June 8, 1986
  25. ^ a b David Ibata, "American Conservatory of Music Plans Near West Side Move," Chicago Tribune, April 16, 1985
  26. ^ "Debts Force the Closing of Famed Music School," by Joseph Kirby, Chicago Tribune, April 21, 1991
  27. ^ Note: In 1979, Horwitz authored the book How to Set Up and Run Successful Nonprofit Arts Organizations, published by Chicago Review Press, of which E. Curtis Matthews Jr. was CEO. OCLC 560415669 OCLC 608827741
  28. ^ Plath, Karl (June 8, 1986). "Rehab Firm Marches to a Different Drummer". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  29. ^ International Who's Who in Music and Musicians Directory, 1990-1991 (12th ed.), edited by David M. Cummings & Dennis K. McIntire, International Who's Who in Music, Cambridge, England (1990) OCLC 185572505
  30. ^ Who's Who of Emerging Leaders in America, 1987–1988 (1st ed.), Marquis Who's Who, Wilmette, IL (1987) OCLC 16395697 ISSN 0895-965X
  31. ^ Who's Who in the Midwest, 1986–1987 (20th ed.), Marquis Who's Who, Wilmette, IL (1985) OCLC 13088248 ISBN 0-8379-0720-9 ISBN 9780837907208
  32. ^ Who's Who in the West, 1978-1979, (16th ed.), Marquis Who's Who, Wilmette, IL (1978) OCLC 6261917 ISBN 0-8379-0916-3 ISBN 9780837909165
  33. ^ "79 Army Band (US) alumni website: Harvey Jewell — Oboe & Flute (biography)". Archived from the original on 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  34. ^ National Association of Schools of Music archives, Reston, Virginia
  35. ^ Illinois State Board of Education archives
  36. ^ "Carl L. Waldschmidt, 78, Ex-Dean, Music Director," by Teresa Jimenez, Chicago Tribune, October 8, 1995
  37. ^ U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division (Chicago), 1991 Case No. 91-19363
    — Case location: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Chicago 2012-10-08 at the Wayback Machine
    — Location No. 175995-176144; Accession No. 021-99-0097; Box 053

Coordinates: 41°52′35″N 87°37′29″W / 41.87639°N 87.62472°W / 41.87639; -87.62472

January 12, 2023
american, conservatory, music, orthodox, church, belize, institution, based, hammond, indiana, belize, hammond, indiana, belize, major, american, school, music, founded, chicago, 1886, john, james, hattstaedt, 1851, 1931, conservatory, incorporated, illinois, . For the Orthodox Church of Belize institution based in Hammond Indiana and Belize see American Conservatory of Music Hammond Indiana amp Belize The American Conservatory of Music ACM was a major American school of music founded in Chicago in 1886 by John James Hattstaedt 1851 1931 1 The conservatory was incorporated as an Illinois non profit corporation It developed the Conservatory Symphony Orchestra and had numerous student recitals The oldest private degree granting music school in the Midwestern United States it was located in Chicago until 1991 American Conservatory of MusicTypePrivateActive1886 1886 1991 1991 LocationChicagoThat year 1991 its board of trustees chaired by Frederic Wilbur Hickman 2 voted to close the institution file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidate the assets and dissolve the corporation The conservatory closed at the end of the semester in May 1991 3 4 An organization based in Hammond Indiana uses the name American Conservatory of Music and identifies as the reorganized continuation of the Chicago institution It also has a base in Belize that was founded in 1886 and is currently led by Theodora Schultze 5 Contents 1 History 2 Leadership 2 1 Conservatory presidents 2 2 General directors 2 3 Deans of faculty 2 4 Department deans 3 Faculty guest teachers and associates 3 1 Notable faculty members 4 Alumni 4 1 Pulitzer Prize for Music recipients 4 2 Other notable alumni 4 3 Recipients of honorary doctorates 5 Former locations 6 1975 1991 restructuring efforts 6 1 1975 acquisition amp 1983 sale of building 6 2 1987 Chapter 11 bankruptcy 6 3 Directors who stayed on during Chapter 11 reorganization 6 4 New directors who joined to help reorganization 6 5 Other directors 6 6 Efforts to reorganize 6 7 1991 Chapter 7 bankruptcy 7 Efforts to resurrect the bankrupt conservatory 8 ReferencesHistory EditJohn James Hattstaedt a musician who had taught piano in Detroit Michigan and St Louis Missouri moved to Chicago Illinois in 1875 A center of railroad lines connecting to the East Coast and the resource rich Great Lakes area it was booming as a center of business industry and culture In 1886 he established the American Conservatory of Music which became the oldest private degree granting school of music in the Midwest Hattstaedt was founding president and continued his direction until he became ill six months before his death in 1931 He had expanded the school attracting talented faculty and students A Conservatory Symphony Orchestra was developed In addition to the regular faculty the conservatory attracted artists who conducted master classes in their specialties In 1931 the conservatory had 3 000 students In the later 20th century the conservatory appeared to suffer from its lack of affiliation with a university which would have provided access to a wider circle of programs and donors But it still served urban students and in 1977 had 2 000 students At least in the early 1970s accredited academic coursework was provided by the University of Chicago Extension 6 which had classroom facilities in downtown Chicago s Loop district After the late 1970s enrollment declined more markedly in the 1980s Many other music schools were also under pressure and struggling financially In 1986 ACM entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings 3 Under the presidency of Vernon R Nelson the school moved to more modern quarters in the Stevens Building 17 N State Street and attracted new faculty He gained several major gifts from donors and foundations including a 1 million grant from the Marquette Charitable Trust 3 But by spring of 1991 enrollment was down to 90 full time students 60 fewer than expected The conservatory announced it would close in May at the end of the semester Chicago Musical College offered contracts to many of the conservatory faculty and offered to have students enroll there to complete their studies and degrees 3 Leadership EditConservatory presidents Edit 1886 1931 John James Hattstaedt 1851 1931 1935 1971 John Robert Hattstaedt 1887 1978 son of the founder took over as president four years after his father s death In between his mother Kate Hattstaedt had served as president 7 1971 1981 Leo Edward Heim 1913 1992 In 1981 the conservatory named him president emeritus 8 9 But in 1987 1991 he was instrumental in the attempt to save the conservatory after it had filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 10 11 1980 1987 Charles Ethelbert Moore 1930 1995 12 a classical pianist who later taught at DePaul University was president when the conservatory filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 1987 13 Moore had joined the faculty in 1961 and became dean in 1972 1987 1989 Vernon R Nelson born 1945 a graduate of the University of Chicago s Graduate School of Business temporarily saved the conservatory extending its life until 1991 13 14 1989 1990 Steven J Nelson no relation to Vernon 1990 1991 Vernon R NelsonGeneral directors Edit 1900 1903 Frederick Grant Gleason 15 Deans of faculty Edit circa 1942 Heniot Levy post WWII to the late 1960s Irwin Fischer 16 circa mid 1980s E Harvey Jewell DMA 1972 1981 Leo Edward Heim late 1980s Carl L Waldschmidt PhDDepartment deans Edit circa early 1900s Adolf Weidig associate director and dean of the department of theory 17 Faculty guest teachers and associates EditFor over a century many prominent artists including some who had their musical training in Europe taught master classes in piano and other instruments at the American Conservatory Among them were pianist Josef Lhevinne from the Soviet Union a colleague of Sergei Rachmaninoff and his student Adele Marcus Both taught primarily at the Juilliard School in New York City From the post WWII years to the late 1960s Irwin Fischer composer pianist and conductor served as dean of faculty and conductor of the American Conservatory Orchestra Violinist Scott Willits coached many members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1940 to 1974 Acclaimed pianist William Browning heir of the Brahms Schumann piano dynasty and one of the legendary pianists and teachers of the 20th century was on faculty from 1957 to 1989 Pianist Wilhelmina Pouget student of Walter Gieseking specialized in late Romantic piano technique in the 1970s Notable faculty members Edit Warren Benfield 1913 2001 double bass David Scull Bispham 1857 1921 Bobby Broom born 1961 taught jazz guitar at ACM from 1986 to 1990 William Browning 1924 1997 piano Jacques Gordon 1897 1948 Ervin Kleffman 1892 1987 Heniot Levy 1879 1945 Josef Lhevinne 1874 1944 Wilhelm Middelschulte 1863 1943 Stella Roberts 1899 1988 music theory composition harmony theory and musicology Mae Doelling Schmidt 1889 1965 piano Silvio Scionti 1882 1973 piano Henry Sopkin 1903 1988 conductor of the Conservatory Symphony Orchestra Leo Sowerby 1895 1968 Charles Vernon bass trombone Adolf Weidig 1867 1931 music theory Marie Sidenius Zendt 1882 1968 voiceAlumni EditPulitzer Prize for Music recipients Edit 1946 Leo Sowerby 1895 1968 pianist amp composer Master of Music 1918 1952 Gail Kubik 1914 1984 Master of Music 1936 1976 Ned Rorem born 1923 studied with Leo Sowerby 1938 1939 1979 Joseph Schwantner born 1943 Bachelor of Music 1964 1986 George Perle 1915 2009 Master of Music 1942 Other notable alumni Edit Robert Theodore Anderson Victor Arden Eden Atwood E Mark Andersen organist composer 18 Thurman Barker Walter Barnes Wishart Bryan Bell 19 Edward Bland Mwata Bowden Edith Borroff Storm Bull Paul Callaway Edo Castro Edward Joseph Collins William Levi Dawson Jack DeJohnette piano Mae Doelling Richard Dufallo Robert Fizdale Zelma Watson George Floyd Freeman Graham Kirby Grant Hoon Jr Kurt Kaiser Donald M Kendrick Dina Koston Robert E Kreutz Gail Kubik Norman Luboff 20 Maurice McAdow Barbara McNair Dennis Morgan John W Peterson Florence Price Robert O Ragland film score composer conductor orchestrator Joseph John Richards Brad Richter Reginald Robinson Kenn Smith guitarist bassist composer Francisco Santiago Ruth Crawford Seeger composer and musicologist Henry Sopkin 1903 1988 conductor Leon Stein composer Lennie Tristano John Walker organist Valerie Wellington Grace Welsh Helen Searles Westbrook composer and organist Jeanette Williams Eldee Young jazz double bassist Recipients of honorary doctorates Edit 1938 Cecil Burleigh 21 1885 1980 1938 Earl Vincent Moore 1890 1987 1950 Tauno Hannikainen 1896 1968 22 1951 MusD Wilfred Conwell Bain 1908 1997 Dean of University of North Texas College of Music amp Jacobs School of Music 23 1987 George Perle 1915 2009 1986 recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music received his honorary doctorate at the conservatory s 100th anniversary commencement 24 1990 Vernon R Nelson president American Conservatory of MusicFormer locations Edit 1975 410 S Michigan Avenue Chicago Fine Arts Building 1975 1987 116 S Michigan Avenue Chicago 1987 1991 17 N State Street Chicago Stevens Building 25 26 1975 1991 restructuring efforts Edit1975 acquisition amp 1983 sale of building Edit In 1975 using funds from its endowment the conservatory acquired and renovated a 17 story 105 400 square foot turn of the century office building at 116 S Michigan for about 1 2 million and moved from the Fine Arts Building at 410 S Michigan Avenue The conservatory s strategy was to occupy part of the building and earn enough rent income to cover some losses But that plan failed and in 1983 the conservatory sold the building to developer Horwitz Matthews Inc Tem H Horwitz born 1944 and E Curtis Matthews Jr born 1943 who launched their own 4 5 million renovation 27 That year they gave the conservatory which had been occupying 25 000 square feet on 4 1 2 floors two years to find new quarters for its 125 faculty members and 250 full time and 800 part time students 25 28 1987 Chapter 11 bankruptcy Edit In January 1987 the conservatory filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and shortly thereafter Charles Moore its president resigned Henry Regnery an industrialist publisher of conservative books benefactor and amateur cellist asked Vernon Nelson to step in as acting president Nelson an engineer with an MBA from the University of Chicago had since 1986 been leading a group from the University of Chicago to design a business plan for the conservatory Nelson agreed to serve as president for a short time on a pro bono basis Many of the directors resigned shortly after the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing Directors who stayed on during Chapter 11 reorganization Edit Henry Regnery 1912 1996 remained as chairman Fred Hickman born 1927 an attorney and former U S Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy from 1971 to 1975 under Presidents Nixon and Ford Leo Edward Heim 1913 1992 a career Conservatory faculty member and former president Bernard James McKenna 1933 2010 the CEO of Sanwa Business Credit Corp chaired in 1987 the conservatory s new building committee he served as a Conservatory director from 1985 to 1992 Robert Bob Getz a musician and alumnusNew directors who joined to help reorganization Edit Walter D Fackler 1921 1993 a professor of economics former acting dean and director of the Executive MBA program of the University of Chicago s Graduate School of Business and former senior economist for U S President Dwight D Eisenhower s Cabinet Committee from 1959 to 1960 Henry Fogel then the president of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and as of June 2009 Dean of the Chicago College of Performing Arts Vernon R Nelson J Thomas Freidheim born 1945 a Chicago insurance company executiveHickman s firm Hopkins amp Sutter handled the bankruptcy pro bono Other directors Edit Ruth Anderson nee Teninga born 1918 philanthropist from Hinsdale Illinois wife of Roger Allen Anderson 1919 2005 Paul J Henry born 1953 Conservatory faculty member classical guitar Fumio Ralph Fujimoto born 1923 partner now retired Ernst amp Young Norman A Ross 1922 2008 second generation journalist amp broadcaster and son of Olympic swimmer Norman RossEfforts to reorganize Edit In 1987 Regnery led with a 1 million gift to the conservatory Other foundations followed This provided operating capital to run the conservatory during the restructuring Under the Deanship of E Harvey Jewell DMA born 1942 29 30 31 32 33 the conservatory strengthened its programs raised entrance requirements recruited prominent faculty passed a rigorous accreditation review in 1988 by the National Association of Schools of Music 34 and cleared a probationary status placed earlier by the Illinois State Board of Education on the Bachelor of Music Education program 35 After eighteen months the conservatory had developed a survival plan and raised enough money to provide a balanced budget for three years If the milestones were met the conservatory would be able to function independently going forward When Nelson expressed to the board his desire to leave his pro bono post the board accepted it and launched a nationwide search for a new president and a dean The board hired Steven J Nelson as president and Carl L Waldschmidt PhD 1917 1995 the former dean longtime music professor and choral director from Concordia University in Chicago retired 1987 as dean 36 Steve Nelson had studied violin at Cleveland Institute of Music and had served as president of the Center for Creative Studies Institute of Music and Dance in Detroit After leaving the American Conservatory of Music Steve Nelson served as vice president college of relations at Landmark College in Putney Vermont In 1998 he became head master at the Calhoun School in New York City Vern Nelson remained on the board 1991 Chapter 7 bankruptcy Edit By late 1990 it was clear to the board of directors that the milestones of the survival plan would not be met In January 1991 the board reappointed Vern Nelson as president pro bono Grants totaling 2 million had been depleted by faculty salaries student scholarships and recruitment and development programs Enrollment had fallen to 90 down from 2 000 full time in 1977 The board determined that in order to survive the conservatory would have to be merged with another entity Discussions were held with the Northwestern University School of Music which had an interest in developing a Downtown presence to house the performance department with better access to members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera Discussions were also held with Roosevelt University to merge the conservatory with its Chicago Musical College 4 The board felt that prospects were viable but a merger of any sort was resisted by members of conservatory faculty Then when faced with financial failure from among other things no viable operating funds or other prospects for survival the board closed the school in 1991 and filed for protection under Chapter 7 bankruptcy The main secured creditor was the landlord Morris Kalish who owned the Stevens Building at 17 N State Street a 19 story building erected in 1913 which had housed the Chas A Stevens Department Store At the invitation of Kalish the conservatory had taken up residence on the top two floors in 1987 37 Efforts to resurrect the bankrupt conservatory EditSee American Conservatory of Music Hammond Indiana amp Belize References Edit Baker s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians 6th ed revised by Nicolas Slonimsky Collier Macmillan Publishers Marquis Who s Who in America 1992 1993 47th ed Vol 1 A K pg 1547 Reed Reference Publishing Company New Providence New Jersey 1992 a b c d All Out Of Miracles Century Old Music School Will Close In May by John Richard von Rhein Chicago Tribune March 9 1991 a b Changing The Score American Conservatory Gets Another Chance by John Richard von Rhein Chicago Tribune July 28 1991 American Conservatory of Music Americanconservatory edu Retrieved 21 June 2019 University of Chicago Library Guide to the University of Chicago University Extension Records 1892 1979 Retrieved May 30 2022 Obituaries John Robert Hattstaedt Chicago Tribune p C13 February 6 1978 International Who s Who in Music and Musicians Directory 10th ed Cambridge England 1984 Who s Who in American Music Classical R R Bowker New York 1983 Leo Heim 78 Helped Save American Conservatory of Music Chicago Sun Times January 7 1992 Who s Who in America 1990 1991 46th ed Marquis Who s Who Wilmette Illinois 1990 Charles E Moore DePaul Music Teacher Chicago Sun Times January 31 1995 a b Ailing Music School Given An Encore Numbers Man Rides To Rescue by Howard Reich Chicago Tribune March 15 1987 How For Profit Management Saved a Failing Institution Nonprofit World Jan Feb 1988 Vol 6 Issue 1 pg 36 37 Buck Dudley 2005 N Lee Orr ed American Victorian Choral Music Series Recent Researches in American Music Vol 53 A R Editions Inc p xx ISBN 9780895795731 Irwin Fischer biography American Composers Alliance composers wbr com retrieved November 4 2015 Herringshaw s City Blue Book of Biography Chicagoans of 1916 edited by Mae Felts Herringshaw Chicago Clark J Herringshaw publisher 1916 OCLC 36048155 Well Known Musician Composer to Give Recital Celebrating New Organ by Jim Wrinn The Charlotte Observer November 9 1986 accessible via Newspapers com subscription required musicalartsindiana org About Hint to Singers Wisconsin State Journal col 3 May 12 1953 Doctorate Awarded Native of Wyoming New York Democrat and Chronicle July 2 1938 pg 11 Tauno Hannikainen Conductor Noted Sibelius Interpreter Dies The New York Times October 13 1968 Who s Who in America Vol 33 1964 1965 pg 93 Marquis Who s Who Inc OCLC 493777888 LCCN 04 16934 ISSN 0083 9396 Long ignored Composer George Perle Unfazed Standing In Pulitzer Spotlight by John Richard von Rhein Chicago Tribune June 8 1986 a b David Ibata American Conservatory of Music Plans Near West Side Move Chicago Tribune April 16 1985 Debts Force the Closing of Famed Music School by Joseph Kirby Chicago Tribune April 21 1991 Note In 1979 Horwitz authored the book How to Set Up and Run Successful Nonprofit Arts Organizations published by Chicago Review Press of which E Curtis Matthews Jr was CEO OCLC 560415669 OCLC 608827741 Plath Karl June 8 1986 Rehab Firm Marches to a Different Drummer Chicago Tribune Retrieved June 21 2019 International Who s Who in Music and Musicians Directory 1990 1991 12th ed edited by David M Cummings amp Dennis K McIntire International Who s Who in Music Cambridge England 1990 OCLC 185572505 Who s Who of Emerging Leaders in America 1987 1988 1st ed Marquis Who s Who Wilmette IL 1987 OCLC 16395697 ISSN 0895 965X Who s Who in the Midwest 1986 1987 20th ed Marquis Who s Who Wilmette IL 1985 OCLC 13088248 ISBN 0 8379 0720 9 ISBN 9780837907208 Who s Who in the West 1978 1979 16th ed Marquis Who s Who Wilmette IL 1978 OCLC 6261917 ISBN 0 8379 0916 3 ISBN 9780837909165 79 Army Band US alumni website Harvey Jewell Oboe amp Flute biography Archived from the original on 2012 07 10 Retrieved 2012 03 07 National Association of Schools of Music archives Reston Virginia Illinois State Board of Education archives Carl L Waldschmidt 78 Ex Dean Music Director by Teresa Jimenez Chicago Tribune October 8 1995 U S Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division Chicago 1991 Case No 91 19363 Case location The U S National Archives and Records Administration Chicago Archived 2012 10 08 at the Wayback Machine Location No 175995 176144 Accession No 021 99 0097 Box 053 Coordinates 41 52 35 N 87 37 29 W 41 87639 N 87 62472 W 41 87639 87 62472 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title American Conservatory of Music amp oldid 1121163464, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.