Henrietta G. Baker Low

MENC President 1912-1913

Born December 27, 1869, Baltimore, Maryland

Died March 9, 1960, Baltimore, Maryland

Work:

Teacher, public school math and English, Baltimore, Maryland

Organist, choir director, Presbyterian church, Baltimore

Assistant Director of Music, Director of Music, Baltimore schools, 1904-1914

Head, department of school music, Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore,1914-1940

Professional Accomplishments:

Henrietta Baker Low was an integral part of Baltimore music education. Her mother, influenced by her time spent in Germany as a child, transferred a love of music to her four children, and Henrietta always studied music, although she began her career teaching math and English. Baker Low was instrumental in the establishment of music teacher education courses at Peabody Conservatory. She enlisted the help of a high school principal to establish a joint effort with Peabody so secondary students wanting to include music study did not have to leave secondary school. In 1912, the first teacher-training course was begun at the Conservatory, and in 1920, Baker Low advocated its elevation to equality with other academic courses. The first such program was offered by Peabody Conservatory and Johns Hopkins University in 1927-28.

Personal Biography:

Married Joseph Carey Low, 1914. (Died 1938)

Quotes:

“I am glad this association stands for improvement in Sunday School music. . . A crusade is necessary. I suggest each supervisor go home and call a meeting of Sunday school Committees and through them educate the public concept.”

“It is the work of the [music] supervisor to see the lift and shift of [vocal] tone, he must see to that. Pitch high! Sit high! Think high!”

Henrietta G. Baker, Journal of Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Music

Supervisors National Conference, St. Louis, MO. 19-22 March 1912, 46, 76.

“You want your children to have the spirit of optimism, that ought to be a part of a child’s education, and what helps to do that as much as music?”

Henrietta G. Baker, Journal of Proceedings of the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Music

Supervisors National Conference, Rochester, NY. 7-11 April 1913, 24.

Sources Used:

Howe, Sondra W. “Leadership in MENC: The Female Tradition.” Bulletin of the Council

for Research in Music Education 141 (Summer 1999): 59-65.

Journal of Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Music Supervisors National

Conference, St. Louis, MO. 19-22 March 1912.

Journal of Proceedings of the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Music Supervisors National

Conference, Rochester, NY. 7-11 April 1913.

Luckett, Margie H., ed. Maryland Women, vol. 1. Baltimore: King Bros. Press 1931.

“Mrs. Low, Pioneer Music Figure, Dies.” Baltimore Evening Sun, 10 March 1960, sec. 1,

p. 4.

Submitted by Kaye Ferguson, November 2002