Frank William Westhoff
Bibliography of Sources on This Member
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Mr. Westhoff was born on June 14. 1863 in O'Fallen, Missouri. He began the study of music at the age of eight under an uncle who was an instructor of nobility in Germany. At fourteen he studied organ and piano, and at sixteen was director of a church choir. Meanwhile he had studied orchestra, cornet, and clarinet. In 1884 he started to teach piano and organ privately, and in 1892 he was in charge of the vocal music and served as a supervisor of music in the public schools of Decatur IL until 1901.
Invited by the President David Felmey in 1901, Mr. Westhoff joined the Illinois State Normal university faculty. He then began to direct the entire school in required singing for 20 minutes each day, and held regular classes in the afternoon and directed the glee clubs. Under Mr. Westhoff's enthusiastic guidance, music became popular on campus.
Mr. Westhoff served as director of the music department until 1935 and under his leadership the department of music at Illinois State Normal University emerged from the struggle for existence to a place of recognition. His published textbooks, "Select rote Songs; and Elementary Music Reader," and three volumes of "the Ideal Music Series book" were widely used by schools in many parts of the nation. He continued as a University teacher of music for three years following his retirement as department head.
He was married to Miss Lonia Gaebler in October, 1889. Two sons and his wife preceded him in death. The surviving were Miss Margaret Westhoff, instructor in music in the same institution, and one son, Clarence of Joliet Illinois.
Mr. Westhoff was a member of Holy Trinity Church. He was buried in St. Mary's cemetery on October 5 1938.
Professor Westhoff during the period of W.W. I
...Except for the high school and the training school the campus took on the semblance of being largely a woman's world. When the number of men in the normal and college department dropped to twelve, girls were encouraged to take up manual training and meet the teacher demand in that field. IN addition to classes, the campus hummed with war-time activities...Young women brought their sewing to the rhetorical section of Miss O. Lillian Barton, Dean of Women, and in the General Exercises knitting needles clicked as Professor Westhoff lead the singing of "Over There" and "Keep the Home Fires Burning" (Marshall, 1956: 267).
(Prof. Westhoff and the Lowell Mason Club at Illinois State Normal University)
(The Cover of Mr. Westhoff's Book "Select Rote Songs and Elementary Music Reader" )
(A Theater dedicated to Prof. Westhoff located in College of Fine Arts at Illinois State University)
F.W. Westhoff.
Select Rote Songs; and Elementary Music Reader. Taylorville, IL., C.M. Packer, 1903
Elements of Music in Song. Bloomington, IL, 1915.
The Ideal Music Series Book 1, 2, and 3. Normal, IL, McKnight & McKnight, 1926.
* Mr. Westhoff's first employment was documented on the "Proceedings of the Board of Education" on May 29 1901:
...We recommend that F.W. Westhoff, of Decatur, be appointed Teacher of Music at a salary of $1200.
(from the Proceedings of the Board of Education of the State of Illinois at a Called Meeting Held at Normal May 29, 1901, Springfield, Ill)
*Mr. Westhoff's Lowell Mason Club:
The Lowell Mason Club is an organization for all students in Curriculum D, the curriculum in music. The Club, named after the Father of Public School Music, Dr. Lowell Mason, was founded ten years ago (1922), and has been very active and beneficial ever since. The meetings are held every two weeks, on Wednesday evenings, at which problems of musical interest are discussed.
The Club studied the lives, works, and characteristics of the works of the great composers, beginning with John Sebastian Bach, the "father of modern music."
(from the 1932 Index of Illinois State Normal University)
*One of Mr. Westhoff's sons died in the year of 1932, as an information regarding choral performances provided in the 1932 Index of Illinois State Normal University:
The Choral Club of Illinois State Normal University is an organization of students who are interested in studying and singing good music.... It is the custom of the Choral Club to present three concerts each year, two secular concerts in the Fall and Winter terms, and a sacred concert before commencement. This is the first year (1932) in the twenty-nine years of its existence that the Choral Club has failed to give the three concerts. The Fall concert was cancelled, owing to the death of Mr. Westhoff's son.
(from the 1932 Index of Illinois State Normal University)
Bibliography of Sources on This Member
Cross, Marjorie Steele. Music Department History: ISNU/ISU Music Department 1857-1957 in
Department of Music Student Handbook 2000-2001, Illinois State University.
Marshall, Helen E. Grandest of Enterprises: Illinois State Normal University 1857-1957. Normal, IL.,
1956.
Smith, Henry H. (ed.) 1932 Index of Illinois State Normal University in Five Parts: A Record of the Year at
Old Normal. Normal, IL., 1932.
The Vidette, the student newspaper of Illinois State Normal University, Oct. 4, 1938 (p.1 and 4).
Special Thanks to
Mr. Michael Wallace, Music Director, Community Concert Band, Inc., Bloomington/ Normal IL.
Illinois State University Milner Library, Reference and Special Collection Staff
Dr. JoAnn Rayfield, Archivist, Illinois State University
Ms. Christine S. Kubiak, Illinois State University Music/Communication Librarian
Ms. Pam Miller, Staff in Music Department, Illinois State University
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Submitted by
Juiching Wang
If you have additional information about this member, please submit email to:
Jui-Ching.Wang@asu.edu