Title: Alice Keith Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1906-1962

Creator:

• Keith, Alice, 1890-1962

Call Number: U.S. Mss 52AF; Disc 34A; Tape 309A

Quantity: 2.0 c.f. (3 archives boxes, 3 volumes, and 1 package), 6 disc recordings, and 23 tape recordings

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of the founder of the National Academy of Broadcasting, Inc., and a teacher of music in schools and on the radio. Included are correspondence, articles and addresses, scrapbooks, press releases, printed materials, scripts, and sound recordings. The correspondence is largely of a personal nature, but letters written during the 1930's occasionally display her efforts to become recognized as a pioneer in educational broadcasting. Scripts and teachers' manuals relate to her position as broadcasting director for CBS's American School of the Air. There are also scripts and recordings for several radio series used to promote NAOB, as well as other instructional materials such as How to Speak and Write for Radio (1944), which she developed to teach broadcasting techniques.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0052af

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Alice Keith was born in Galesville, Wisconsin, in 1890. She attended the local schools, graduating from Galesville High School as class valedictorian in 1906.

For a year after she graduated from high school, Miss Keith taught in a rural school, but then she decided to go on to Valparaiso University in Indiana, from which she received her music teacher's certificate in piano and public school music in 1909. She went directly to a job at Gale College in Galesville, shere she taught piano and voice harmony until 1911. From 1911 to 1913, she taught public school music in DeForest, Wisconsin.

In 1913, Miss Keith went to the University of Wisconsin, where she majored in English and speech. While a student, she served as Assistant Supervisor of Music for the Madison, Wisconsin, city schools, and during the summers of 1914, 1915, and 1916, she conducted community singing, playground work, and story telling for the University of Wisconsin Extension Division Chautauguas.

From 1916 to 1918, Miss Keith supervised music in the city schools of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and in 1919, she became Dramatic Director of the New England Division of the War Camp Community Service where she produced plays, festivals, pageants, and operettas. In 1920-1921, she was on the professional stage in the East. From this, she returned to the W.C.C.S., producing plays and pageants. The largest production with which she was connected was the Chicago Fire Semi-Centennial Pageant for which she was assistant to the director.

During the years 1922 to 1925, Miss Keith was a lecturer on the educational staff of the Victor Talking Machine Company, and from 1926 to 1928, she was supervisor of music appreciation for the Cleveland, Ohio, city schools. In 1928, she returned to RCA as Director of Educational Activities, working with Walter Damrosch.

Miss Keith went to the Columbia Broadcasting System in 1929 as Broadcasting Director of the American School of the Air, a series of programs for schools.

After leaving CBS in 1932, Miss Keith traveled in Europe and worked for a master's degree in comparative education, which she obtained from Columbia University in 1934.

From 1934 until her death, Miss Keith taught radio and television techniques at the National Academy of Broadcasting, of which she was the founder. Also during this period, she produced programs, did publicity and promotional work for various civic and religious organizations, did special promotional work for the National Symphony Orchestra, taught classes at American, Catholic, and Maryland Universities and other places, lectured, and conducted summer camp workshops.

The Alice Keith Papers is a very miscellaneous collection dealing with her careers as a teacher of music, both in schools and over the radio, and as Director of the National Academy of Broadcasting in Washington, D.C.

The correspondence is largely of a personal nature. Early letters are from Miss Keith at school or in various places around the country where she worked for the War Camp Community Service. Letters during the 1930's show Miss Keith's efforts to become recognized as the first of the educational broadcasters. Most of the letters from the 1940's and 1950's are between Miss Keith and Magda de Spur, a Hungarian refugee.

The articles and addresses deal with all phases of education. Scripts are from CBS's American School of the Air, and the N.A.O.B.'s Music in the Air, and teachers manuals.

Most of the press releases and printed materials pertain to educational broadcasting or the N.A.O.B. There are more things of this type in volumes 2 and 3 of the scrapbooks.

Miss Keith's memorabilia consists of mementos from her school days, early teaching jobs, and trips. More material of this sort may be found in volume 1 of the scrapbooks.

Tape Recordings include programs used by Alice Keith while director of the National Academy of Broadcasting, Washington, D.C. Disc recordings include five recordings to be used with the course of study, How to Speak and Write for Radio, 1944, accompanied by the textbook; and one recording of lessons by Alice Keith called The Microphone and You, both prepared by Alice Keith for the N.A.O.B.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Mrs. Winifred Keith Pinto, Washington, D.C., April 1 and 25, 1963.

Processing Information

Processed by Janice O'Connell, August 5, 1963.

U.S. Mss 52AF Box   1	Correspondence, 1907, Sept. 24-1962, June 23, n.d.
	Articles and addresses
Box   1	1900's?-1950's?, n.d.
Box   2	n.d.
Box   2	Scripts, 1930, Nov. 6-1932, 1940
Box   2	Press releases, 1940, June 13-1962, n.d.
Box   2	Printed articles, 1909-1960, n.d.
	Books and pamphlets
Box   2	1926-1957.
Box   3	1961, n.d.
Box   3	How to Speak and Write for Radio, 1944
Box   3	N.A.O.B. newsletter, 1947-1959
Box   3	Unsorted clippings
Box   3	Memorabilia, 1909-1934
	Scrapbooks
Volume   1	1906-1914
Volume   2	1926
Volume   3	1946-1951
Package   1	Diplomas, 1906-1934
Tape 309A	Tape Recordings
No.   1 Side   1	Everyone Loves Music
No.   1 Side   2	Music and Nature
No.   2 Side   1	Folk Music
No.   2 Side   2	Nationality
No.   3 Side   1	Rythm in Music
No.   3 Side   2	Melody in Music
No.   4 Side   1	Harmony and Tone Color
No.   4 Side   2	Form in Music
No.   5 Side   1	Social Conditions
No.   5 Side   2	Musical Story
No.   6 Side   1	Tone Pictures
No.   6 Side   2	Songs of the Seasons
No.   7 Side   1	Music and Poetry
No.   7 Side   2	Life of Haydn
No.   8 Side   1	Legend of Sleepy Hollow
No.   8 Side   2	Taming of the Shrew
No.   9 Side   1	Cinderella
No.   9 Side   2	Magic Music Box
No.   10 Side   1	Wee Willie Winkie
No.   10 Side   2	Rip Van Winkle
No.   11 Side   1	Oscar the Duck
No.   11 Side   2	Oscar Learns Thrift
No.   12 Side   1	Why the Sea is Salty
No.   12 Side   2	The Lion Makers
No.   13 Side   1	Ulysses and Circe
No.   13 Side   2	A Little Learning
No.   14 Side   1	Mary Rajan (India)
No.   14 Side   2	Mrs. Murdock (Int. by Tombari)
No.   15 Side   1	Mamerta Block
No.   15 Side   2	Mrs. Wiley
No.   16 Side   1	Village Lawyer
No.   16 Side   2	Sire de Maletroit's Door
No.   17 Side   1	Alexander Tolstoy
No.   17 Side   2	Lis a Sergio
No.   18 Side   1	Georgette Novak
No.   18 Side   2	Adelaide Johnson
No.   19 Side   1	Mother Goose Party
No.   19 Side   2	Flivver - The Star
No.   20 Side   1	Boless
No.   20 Side   2	Where Love Is
No.   21 Side   1	Nutcracker Prince
No.   21 Side   2	Lonnie's Xmas Party
No.   22 Side   1	Alice in Wonderland
No.   22 Side   2	Emperor's Nightingale
No.   23 Side   1	Luck of Roaring Camp
No.   23 Side   2	The Other Wise Man
Disc 34A	Disc Recordings
No.   1-5	How to Speak and Write for Radio, 1944
No.   6	The Microphone and You