Cornella Derrick Lampton (1896 – August 9, 1928), later Cornella Lampton Dawson, was an American pianist and music educator. She was the first woman to earn a bachelor's degree in music at

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

Early life and education

Cornella Derrick Lampton was from

Greenville, Mississippi Greenville is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, ninth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, and the largest city by population in the Mississippi Delta region. It is the county seat of Washington County, Mississippi, Was ...

, the youngest daughter of clergyman Edward Wilkinson Lampton and Lula M. Lampton. The family moved to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

after one of her sisters demanded to be addressed as "Miss Lampton" by the phone company, and the argument escalated to threats against the family. She was the first woman to earn a bachelor's degree at

's Conservatory of Music, graduating in 1914. She attended the

Chicago Musical College Chicago Musical College is a division of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois, United States. History Founding Dr. Florenz Ziegfeld Sr (1841–1923), founded the college in 1867 as the Chicag ...

, where she studied piano with Alexander Raab and

Percy Grainger Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who moved to the United States in 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long and ...

, and from 1925 to 1927 pursued further studies in piano with James Friskin, on a scholarship at the Juilliard Musical Foundation.

Career

Cornella Lampton performed as a pianist in recitals and on radio programs, and taught piano. She was also music editor of the ''Chicago Whip''. She was a member of the

National Association of Negro Musicians The National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. is one of the oldest organizations in the United States dedicated to the preservation, encouragement, and advocacy of all genres of the music of African-Americans. NANM had its beginning on May 3 ...

, and the Chicago Music Association. In 1927, she spoke and played at the 137th Street YWCA in New York, giving a program on "song and folk song."

Personal life and legacy

Cornella Lampton married composer and musician William Levi Dawson in May 1927. She died in August 1928, aged 32, in Chicago. Reports ascribed her death to complications after an

appendectomy An appendectomy (American English) or appendicectomy (British English) is a Surgery, surgical operation in which the vermiform appendix (a portion of the intestine) is removed. Appendectomy is normally performed as an urgent or emergency procedur ...

. Her remains were buried in Greenville. One of her students, Vivienne Shurland, established the Cornelia Lampton Scholarship Fund in her memory, for music students at Howard University.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lampton, Cornelil 1896 births 1928 deaths People from Greenville, Mississippi 20th-century American pianists Howard University alumni Juilliard School alumni 20th-century American women pianists Musicians from Mississippi Chicago Musical College alumni