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Mahlon Merrick Papers, 1953-1967

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Merrick, Mahlon
Title
Mahlon Merrick Papers
Dates
1953-1967 (inclusive)
Quantity
6, (7 linear feet of shelf space.), (121 items.)
Collection Number
Cage 361
Summary
Published and unpublished musical compositions and arrangements, principally for television; also an opera and a symphony. Included are copies of compositions by Merrick's arranger, Carl Brandt.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Biographical Note

Hailing from Centralia, Washington, Mahlon Merrick graduated from Washington State University in 1923 with bachelors’ degrees in both education and music. After a brief teaching experience in schools in the Redmond, Washington, Merrick devoted himself to a career in music.

Beginning as a saxophonist at the Old Italian Gardens in Spokane’s Davenport Hotel, Merrick’s career led him to Hollywood where he was associated with a number of popular television series including The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and The Bob Cummings Show. For thirty years he remained the musical director for comedian Jack Benny. A versatile composer, a number of his works appear under the pseudonym, "Gene LaGrande."

In 1965, Mr. Merrick retired to Palm Springs, California. In September of the following year, however, he made a guest appearance at Washington State University for the first performance of the Cougar Marching Song which he had composed for his alma mater. On August 7, 1969, at the age of 69 years, Mr. Merrick succumbed to cancer.

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Content Description

The Mahlon Merrick collection of musical compositions includes marches, television background music and themes, listening music, an opera, and a symphony. The Gillette Look Sharp March is Merrick's best known composition.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]. Cage 361, Mahlon Merrick Papers. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Series 1, Compositions and Arrangements, consists of sheet music, orchestrations, and original manuscripts. Although most of these compositions are unrelated, two comprehensive works are included: the opera, Sun Stone and the symphony Song of Youth.

Series 2, Miscellaneous Papers, consists of Mr. Merrick’s arrangements of the background music for the National Football League television programs, mementos of his career, and compositions by his arranger, Carl Brandt.

The compositions are arranged in alphabetical order in each series; however, the indicated oversize material has been placed at the end of the collection in alphabetical sequence.

Acquisition Information

The Mahlon Merrick collection was deposited in the Washington State University Libraries by Mrs. Mahlon Merrick in June of 1977 (1977-33).

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Finding aid prepared by Pat Graham Pidcock
2012

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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