nov 8, 1885 - Nora Douglas Holt

Description:

Lena Douglas was born in Kansas City to African Methodist Episcopal Church minister Calvin Douglas and his wife, Gracie Douglas. The Reverend Douglas was closely involved with Western University of Quindaro in Wyandotte County, the first all-African American school west of the Mississippi River. Gracie was the first matron of the girl’s building at Western University, and Lena grew up around the campus. When her father wrote the words to the school song in 1907, she wrote the score.

Lena studied music composition, musicology, and music criticism at Western and graduated as class valedictorian with a bachelor’s degree in music. She had been married three times before graduating and moving to Chicago.
Douglas became the first African American woman to earn a master’s degree when she graduated from Chicago Musical College. Her thesis composition was an orchestral piece called Rhapsody on Negro Themes.

The Chicago Defender, a black newspaper, hired Douglas as its music critic. She wrote an article advocating for an organization solely for African American musicians. In 1919 Douglas co-founded the National Association of Negro Musicians. She also continued to compose and perform.

Lena Douglas changed her name to Nora Holt when she married her fourth husband, an elderly Chicago hotel owner named George Holt. Her husband’s wealth and connections opened up opportunities for Nora to travel abroad. For a short time, she published her own magazine, called Music and Poetry.

Source: https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/nora-douglas-holt/12090 by courtesy of the Library of Congress

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