Stella R.
Root
(1863-1942)
Bibliography of Sources on This Member
Stella R. Root was born January 8, 1863 in Summerset, Michigan to Simeon P. and Susan (Haynes) Root. She taught music at Jackson Michigan, Peoria and Springfield, Illinois, St. Cloud, Minnesota, Aurora, Illinois and Ft. Recovery, Ohio. Miss Root was active in the Music Supervisors National Conference for over 30 years. She served as the first secretary from 1907-1910. In 1911, she was elected Vice-President. She attended almost every conference from 1907 to her death. She was the supervisor of music in the Springfield, Illinois Public Schools from 1898 to 1908. She was an active music advocate for the school and for the community, and was very interested in the improvement of music education practices.
From 1910 to 1912, Miss Root listed her address as “The University of Chicago.” No evidence has been found to determine if she was an instructor or student. In 1914, she moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota where she was the music supervisor for the State Normal School at St. Cloud. She was on the faculty of St. Cloud State until she retired in 1935. (See retirement notice below.) She moved to Bellevue, Ohio in 1937. There is mention of teaching in Aurora, Illinois before this move, in her obituary. She moved to Ft. Recovery, Ohio to live with her niece, Miss B. B. Tippet. She continued to teach in the Ft. Recovery public schools until her death in 1942.
Miss Root was a member of the Congregational Christian Church at Bellevue, Oh and a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority.
The
College Chronicle, State Teachers College, St. Cloud, Minn., Friday, May 17,
1935, No. 15.
Miss
Stella Root retires; serves college 22 years
Directs
cantatas, operas and oratorios; organizes first community sing in 1924
Mrs.
Stella A. (sic) Root is retiring from the St. Cloud State Teachers College
faculty after 22 years of service to the college and the community at large.
Before
coming to St. Cloud in 1913, Mrs. Root had teaching experience in Jackson,
Michigan, Peoria, and Springfield, Illinois, and other places. Her first
position in St. Cloud was that of part-time music assistant in the training
school. Since then, there have been four full time supervisors in the training
school; Miss Myrl Carlsen is the present one.
When Miss Root first came to the college, a girl’s glee club and a
boy’s glee club where the only two choral groups on the campus. In 1929, she
organized a choral group which went to Milwaukee that year for the National
Music Supervisors Convention accompanied by Miss Root, Miss Myrl Carlsen, and
Mr. Kenneth Maynard. At the present time, the department consists of two
girl’s glee clubs, a men's glee club, and the choral club.
While
on the college faculty, Miss Root has directed three cantatas “Snow White,”
by Renucke, “Ruth,” by Gaul, and “The Rose Maiden” by Cowen. She has
given the Nutcracker Suite, and Hiawatha's Wedding Feast twice. She directed a
masque, “Pandora's Box” and assisted Mrs. Julia Booth in three pageants, two
Shakespearean and one patriotic one during the war. In 1930, Miss Root directed
a pageant “Christmas in the 19th century” which was given as a dedication
program for Eastman Hall. She has directed several other Christmas pageants and
two in collaboration with the physical education department.
The College Chronicle,
State Teachers College St. Cloud, Minnesota, Friday, December 11, 1942, no. 6.
College pays tribute to
memory of pioneer in music activities
By Ethel A. Graves
Today
our college pays tribute to the memory of a former faculty member, Miss Stella
E. (sic) Root, a truly great teacher in the field of music. When President Selke
received the news of her death, which occurred on November 19, at Celina, Ohio,
he said, “I think of Miss Root was always young in spirit, forward-looking,
ever alert to the changes in methods of teaching, prompt in adjusting to them.
No one can measure the value of her influence upon her former students now
teaching all over this land.”
Perhaps
her most enduring gift is the Christmas community sing the which we enjoyed for
the 19th time yesterday evening-the result of her vision, her desire to add to
the joy of living for all. She pioneered in the activities which have become so
much a part of the present finance department of music at the teachers college.
She organized a choral club in 1938 (sic, actually 1928, see above) and the
following year was invited to appear with the group that at the National
Conference of Music supervisors in Milwaukee.
“To
me, Miss Root was not only a fine professional colleague; she was also a dear
friend-kind, thoughtful, and understanding all ways. I learned much from her,
both musically and personally, and I am deeply grateful for the privilege of
long association with her.” These words from a faculty member find response in
the hearts of all who knew Stella E. Root.
Pat Shenk, St. Cloud State Archivist.
The College Chronicle, St. Cloud State, 12/11/42, 5/17/35.
Proceedings of the Music Supervisors National Conference.
Celina Daily Standard, 11/42
Elizabeth Muether, Circulation Librarian, Mercer County Library, 303 North Main Street, Celina, OH 45822
__________________________________________________________________________
Submitted
Chris Hulett
If you have additional information about this member, please submit email to: