Title Page | Collection Summary | Biographical/Organizational Note | Scope and Content | Arrangement
Biographical Note
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1896 July 28 | Born in Gallipolis, Ohio, to John Cessor and Lillian Jane Fitch |
| 1902 | Played piano at her Sunday School at the local African Methodist Episcopal church |
| circa 1911 | Joined a trio playing at several 'white' hotels around Huntington, West Virginia, earning 25 to 35 dollars per week |
| 1918 | Married William Manggrum in Cabell County, West Virginia. The couple moved first to Milwaukee, then to Pittsburgh, where William studied pharmacy |
| 1926 | Moved with family to Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 1935 | Opened a drugstore where the whole family worked |
| 1945 | Completed high school diploma |
| 1951 | Earned Bachelor of Music degree from Ohio State University Became the first Black student to enroll at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music |
| 1953 | Earned her Master of Music degree in composition from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music at age 57, the first Black student to do so |
| 1955 | Death of William Manggrum |
| 1958 | Premier of Watch, a 90-minute cantata |
| 1961-1971 | Taught music full time at Garfield Elementary School, Cincinnati |
| 1976 | Returned to the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music for doctoral studies, but only incidentally, to work toward a PhD at age 80 |
| 1978 | Named Woman of the Year by The Cincinnati Enquirer |
| 1986 | Conferred an honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of Cincinnati, recognizing her contributions to the field of music and to the city of Cincinnati |
| 1992 May 11 | Died in Hamilton, Ohio |
| 1992 | Buried next to her husband in the Spring Hill Cemetery in Huntington, West Virginia |
| 2010 | Eric Oliver founded the Loretta C. Manggrum Chorale in Cincinnati to honor his mentor and ensure that the music of Manggrum and other African American composers continue to be performed |