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Oregon Music Teachers Association records, 1915-2017

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Oregon Music Teachers Association
Title
Oregon Music Teachers Association records
Dates
1915-2017 (inclusive)
Quantity
10.36 cubic feet, (4 record cartons; 2 legal document cases; 4 letter document cases; 8 flat boxes)
Collection Number
Mss 1458
Summary
Records of the statewide Oregon Music Teachers Association from its founding in 1915 to the early 21st century, including records of the association's Russian Connection cultural exchange program, newsletters, some district chapter records, several scrapbooks, and memorabilia.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

The suspension of the Northwest Music Teachers Association, coinciding with the State of Oregon's efforts to develop music education in public schools, prompted The Musicians Club of Portland to organize a statewide music teachers association in 1915, named the Oregon State Music Teachers Association. Two years later, the name was shortened to the Oregon Music Teachers Association. The OMTA was initially divided into twelve geographic districts and later expanded to fourteen. OMTA developed and maintains teacher certification and a syllabus for private music instruction. The association also publishes a newletter, Music News, and hosts an annual conference. Members of the current fourteen districts meet throughout the year, and offer performance and instructional opportunities for their students. In 1950, the OMTA joined the Music Teachers National Association.

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Biographical Note

Joan Gathercoal and her twin sister, Jean, were born in March 1932 in Salem, Oregon to Ruth Gillmore and John Reining Baines. Joan attended Oregon State College (later Oregon State University), where she met her husband, Forrest "Spike" Gathercoal. After living in Texas for several years, the couple returned to Oregon, eventually settling in Corvallis. There, Joan Gathercoal worked as a piano teacher and ran a bakery with her sister. She was a member of the Oregon Music Teachers Association and served as its president and historian. In 1998 and 2001, Gathercoal traveled to Khabarovsk, Russia, as part of the OMTA's Russian Connection cultural exchange program. In 2016, the OMTA awarded her the Nellie Tholen Excellence in Teaching award. She died in September 2017.

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Content Description

The bulk of the collection consists of records of the Oregon Music Teachers Association, including administrative records, newsletters, and instructional materials. The collection includes records for the association's Russian Connection cultural exchange program with Khabarovsk, Russia, sister city to Portland, Oregon. It also includes records of several of the association's district chapters, particularly the McMinnville and Linn-Benton districts. In addition, the collection includes materials relating to national music organizations, especially the Music Teachers National Association (parent organization of OMTA); photographs of events; clippings about members; scrapbooks; and the papers and memorabilia of OMTA president and historian Joan Gathercoal.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Oregon Music Teachers Association records, Mss 1458, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series: Series 1. OMTA records; Series 2. District records; Series 3. National organization records; Series 4: Scrapbooks, photographs, and memorabilia.

Acquisition Information

Gifts of Ella C. Jesse, Lucille Cummins, and the Oregon Music Teachers Association made between 1967 and 2019 (Lib. Accs. 11153, 12920, 17380, 19952, 21407, 27200, and RL2019-072).

Separated Materials

Medals were separated to the Oregon Historical Society Museum collections.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Jeffrey A. Hayes
2019

CC0

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