Descriptive Summary
Administrative Information
Scope and Contents of Collection
Organization and Arrangement
Related Materials
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: Roland Jackson Papers
Dates: 1943 - 2015
Collection number: H.Mss.0435
Creator:
Jackson, Roland John
Extent:
9 Linear Feet
(6 record boxes + 5 document boxes + 1 oversized
document box)
Repository:
Claremont Colleges. Library. Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library. Claremont, CA 91711
Abstract: The collection contains
correspondence and personal papers relating to the academic research, teachings, and
career of Roland John Jackson. Jackson was a professor at Claremont Graduate School
(CGS) from 1970 to 1994. During the 1980s, Jackson contributed to expanding the
graduate music curriculum and organizing three new doctoral programs. In 1988,
Jackson founded the scholarly journal
Performance Practice Review and
was editor until 1997. Jackson was an active member of the Pacific Southwest Chapter
of the Musicological Society and the Southern California Chapter of American Music
Society; attending chapter meetings and presenting at their conferences and
seminars. As a music historian, Jackson's research, teachings, and publications
ranged from computer music studies, early music, 19th century music, film music,
music analysis, and performance practice. In addition, the collection contains
personal correspondence between Jackson and his wife, children, and grandchildren,
colleagues, and close friends. They contain discussions related to current events,
religion, literature, poetry, music, and film.
Physical Location: Please consult repository.
Language of Material: Languages represented in the collection: English, German, Italian, and Spanish.
Administrative Information
Access
Collection is open for research.
Technical Access
The collection contains video cassette tapes and the reading room does not have
access to a VHS player. The materials may be digitized upon request.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Roland Jackson Papers (H.Mss.0435). Special Collections,
The Claremont Colleges Library, Claremont, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Roland Jackson between 1995 – 2015.
Accruals
No additions to the collection are anticipated.
Processing Information
Processed by Natalie Rocha in 2017 in the Claremont Center for Engagement with
Primary Sources (CCEPS), with assistance from Lisa Crane. Overall the collection is
in good condition. Newspaper clippings were photocopied onto acid free paper, and
the originals were discarded. Damaged and rusty staples were removed, and
photographs were placed in mylar sleeves. Materials in binders were placed into acid
free folders, and the binders were discarded. Duplicates of correspondence and
published writings were removed from the collection. Jackson's academic materials
did not have an arrangement prior to being received by Honnold/Mudd Library Special
Collections, therefore an arrangement was created by the processor. Correspondence
were kept in their original chronological arrangement. Books were removed from the
collection and cataloged online for the Claremont Colleges Library. Materials of a
personal and private nature were deaccessioned from the collection.
Biographical Information
Roland John Jackson was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1925. His mother was an
amateur pianist and his father was a public-school teacher. As a child, Jackson was
attracted to music, books, and learning. This continued into adolescence, where his
experiences revolved around playing the piano and traveling weekly to Chicago for
lessons. He continued studying piano music at Northwestern University where he
received his Bachelor and Master of Music in 1947 and 1948, respectively. After
graduating he taught music history at Northland College (1948-1950) where he
developed the desire to become a musicologist.
Jackson spent the next two years in Europe on a research fellowship studying in
Paris, Freiburg, Basel, and Florence. He received lessons and teachings from Olivier
Messiaen, Genevieve Thibault, Willibald Gurlitt, and Jacques Handschin. After
Europe, Jackson entered the doctoral program in musicology at the University of
California Berkeley, and completed his Ph.D. in 1964. He taught at the University of
Arkansas (1958-1960), Ohio University (1961-1962), and Roosevelt University
(1962-1970), before his appointment at the Claremont Graduate School (1970-1994).
Jackson introduced new curriculum to the Claremont Graduate School, and organized
three new doctoral programs. In 1988, Jackson established the scholarly journal
Performance Practice Review and served as the founding
Editor-in-Chief until his retirement. Jackson's research and publications in this
journal, among others, ranged from computer music studies, early music, 19th century
music, film music, music analysis, and performance practice.
Jackson met his wife Brenda, a musician and music educator, when she was studying at
the Claremont Graduate School; they married in July 1975 and were married for 39
years. Together the couple traveled extensively throughout Europe researching topics
related to music. Jackson passed away June 4th, 2015 in Fallbrook, California.
Scope and Contents of Collection
The collection consists of correspondence, research materials, teaching materials,
newspaper clippings, sheet music, photographs, newsletters, and memorabilia from the
life and academic career of Roland John Jackson. The bulk of the collection is
comprised of professional and personal correspondence (1949-2013) between Jackson
and his students, colleagues, friends, and family. They cover Jackson's work as
creator and editor of the Performance Practice Review, as well as his involvement
with the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the Musicological Society and the Southern
California Chapter of American Music Society. In addition, the collection covers
Jackson efforts to expand the Music Department at Claremont Graduate School.
Professional correspondence includes letter from his colleagues Gilbert Reaney, Mark
Lindley, and John Koegel. Personal correspondence includes letters from Jackson to
his wife, Brenda Montiel; children, Martin, Karen, and Ruth Jackson; and
grandchildren, Sara, Jaimie, Michael and Judy Jackson.
The rest of the collection contains Jackson's published and unpublished writings,
with topics related to musicology, music history, and various composers. Teaching
materials Jackson used in lectures and in the classroom are also found within the
collection.
Jackson's student life is shown in newspaper clippings, photographs, and ephemera
from when he was at Northwestern and Northland College. There is also handwritten
sheet music (1945-1948) composed by Jackson when he was attending Northwestern
University.
Organization and Arrangement
This collection has been arranged in the following series:
Series 1: Correspondence, 1949 September - 2013 December
Series 2: Memorabilia, 1943 - 2015
Series 3: Published Works and Writings, 1944 - 2012, undated
Series 4: Research and Teaching Materials, 1952 - 2013, undated
Series 5: Sheet Music, 1945 - 1948
Related Materials
Performance Practice Review in Scholarship at Claremont
http://scholarship.claremont.edu/ppr/
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library’s online public access catalog.
Subject Terms
Music
Composers -- United States
Claremont Graduate University
Teachers
Genre and Form of Materials
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Correspondence
Orchestral music, Arranged -- Scores
Periodicals
Photographs
Poetry
Programs
Publications
Research notes and studies
Sheet music
Video recordings