Honoring Marian Anderson

In a tribute to the life of one of Philadelphia's finest singers, the University honored the prestigious career of Marian Anderson. Over 100 people, including members of the press, administration, alumni and faculty were in attendance to hear a panel speak on the life of Anderson, listen to a musical commemoration and view the exhibition display of rarely seen items from the library's Marian Anderson file. Administrators used the celebration to officially announce plans to establish a Marion Anderson Music Study Center as a memorial to the late singer. The center will be constructed on the fourth floor of Van Pelt, and will be equipped with the latest in multi-media technology, said the center's planners. Anderson was born and raised in South Philadelphia and began as a singer in The Union Baptist Choir. She quickly grew to fame. Her many awards and honors include being the first National Association of Negro Musicians Scholarship winner, the Presidential Medal of freedom, the Kennedy Center for Lifetime achievement award ,the Grammy's lifetime achievement award and many honorary doctorates including one from the University. "I think that Marian was someone for all Americans to look up to," said Bill Rivers, a University alumnus who had the fortune of meeting Anderson when he went to school. Allan R. Keiler, a professor at Brandeis University and the author of the soon to be released biography about Anderson -- A Singers Journey -- opened the discussion by talking about the childhood of Anderson. He was followed by D. Antoinette Handy, former assistant director of the National Endowment of the Arts, who listed some of Anderson's many accomplishments, including her performances at several Presidential inaugurations. The final member of the panel, James DePreist, who is a well known music conductor and happens to be Anderson's nephew, talked about the personal side of Anderson's life. DePreist received the biggest laugh of the afternoon when describing why Philadelphia breeds consistent musical talent. He quipped, "Pat's Cheesesteaks were the reason that South Philly gives rise to such great music." After a short intermission, the crowd was addressed by Interim President Claire Fagin before enjoying about 45 minutes of music. The display was then opened to the public. "I thought she was wonderful and a great singer," said Nancy Fishburn-Zwarg, a University alumna and a winner of the Marion Anderson Scholarship in the 1940s.