Credits and Acknowledgments
Author/Curator
Sarah Thomas is a violinist, teacher, and writer based in Baltimore, MD. She received both Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees from the Peabody Conservatory, completing her studies in 2019. This project was made possible by the Hugh Hawkins Research Fellowships for the Study of Hopkins History, of which Thomas was a recipient in 2018. For questions regarding this research, contact her at sarahthomas479@gmail.com.
Acknowledgments
To the Hugh Hawkins Research Fellowship committee, thank you for the opportunity to conduct this research, and for your investment in preserving Johns Hopkins history.
To Matt Testa and Judah Adashi, my mentors throughout this project, you have my unending gratitude. None of this would have happened without your encouragement, support, patience, thoughtful feedback and insight, and willingness to jump into this project with me.
To the alumni and current students who took the time to share your stories – Jada Campbell, Alex D’Amico, Robert Gorham, Tom Griffin, Phyllis Harris-Bronson, Wilda Heiss, Mark Markham, Paul Matlin, Audrey McCallum, Mellasenah Morris, William Myers, Rahel Lulseged, and Yasmeen Richards – thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without you, this project would be meaningless. You added a depth to this research that went far beyond what I expected when I began this journey, and your willingness to be a part of this is both humbling and inspiring.
To Debbie Kennison, thank you for your time, kindness, and investment in connecting me with the incredible alumni who took part in this project. You have a beautiful and unique ability to bring people together in every situation.
To Shodekeh, your interest in and support of this project means the world. Thank you for your help digging up hard-to-find information about the Baltimore Institute of Musical Arts, your ever-present willingness to engage in conversation about history and society, and your contagious curiosity.
To Mark Cyzyk, thank you for teaching me how to use Omeka, answering questions, troubleshooting, and making this exhibit portion of this project possible - this couldn’t have happened without you!
To the incredible Sheridan Libraries Special Collections team, thank you for everything you do to make so many resources available for research and the preservation of Hopkins history. Special thanks to Gabrielle Dean, Paul Espinosa, Amy Kimball, Jennifer Kinniff, and Jim Simpert, who answered questions and directed me towards resources that I never knew existed.
To Nathan Connolly, thank you for your guidance and perspective early on in this project. Speaking with you gave me a solid framework on which to build and a sense of how important it is to remember the larger picture Baltimore’s unique history.
To those who provided information and resources outside of the Sheridan Libraries’ database – Barbara Benedett (Curtis Institute of Music), Rebecca Cain (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra), David Peter Coppen and Vincent Lenti (Eastman School of Music), Sandra Glascock (Maryland Historical Society), Deborah Harner (Goucher College), Louisa Hoffman (Oberlin College), Kevin McLaughlin (Cleveland Institute of Music), Christina Meninger (Loyola-Notre Dame Library), Maryalice Perrin-Mohr (New England Conservatory), and Jenny Swadosh (The New School) – thank you for taking the time to answer questions and provide resources that allowed me to see the larger context surrounding Peabody’s history. Without your help, it would have been impossible to place my research within an accurate and meaningful framework.
To all my friends (you know who you are), and especially my roommates, thank you for letting me talk your ears off about this project, reading drafts (shoutout to Bronwyn and Emilie for reading the entire paper out loud to me!), and offering the moral support that kept me going over the last year and a half.