Lorene Harrison (1905–2005) was an American educator, singer,

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

director, and

milliner Hat-making or millinery is the design, manufacture and sale of hats and other headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner or hatter. Historically, milliners, typically women shopkeepers, produced or imported an inventory of g ...

. In 2009, she was inaugurated into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame.

Early life and education

Lorene Cuthbertson was born in 1905 in

Sterling, Kansas Sterling is a city in Rice County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,248. Sterling is home to Sterling College. History For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Ame ...

and attended Sterling College. In 1928, she relocated to

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring ...

to teach music and

home economics Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...

. She married Jack Harrison, a

railroad engineer A train driver, engine driver, engineman or locomotive driver, commonly known as an engineer or railroad engineer in the United States and Canada, and also as a locomotive handler, locomotive operator, train operator, or motorman, is a pers ...

, in 1930, in

Estes Park, Colorado Estes Park is a statutory town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 5,904 at the 2020 United States Census. Estes Park is a part of the Fort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban C ...

and the couple had two children: Carol Anne and Peggy. She sang frequently, performing at private and public events like weddings and funerals.

Work

Harrison raised her children and taught music and theater and privately tutored singers. After Jack died in 1968, Harrison opened her own boutique in Anchorage, called Hat Box which sold women's clothing and hats. She designed her own hats and she operated the store for 30 years. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Harrison worked with the

United Service Organizations The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

(USO).

Ruth M. Jefford Ruth Martin Jefford (July 16, 1914 – January 9, 2007) was an air taxi pilot in the U.S. state of Alaska and the first woman licensed to be a flight instructor out of Merrill Field. Jefford was a violinist who became a co-founder of the Anchorag ...

played

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

in the USO orchestra, after being recruited by Harrison. At the war's end, Harrison started the United Choir of all Faiths which evolved into the Anchorage Community Chorus. She worked with the Anchorage Concert Association,

Anchorage Symphony Orchestra The Anchorage Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is a professional symphony orchestra located in Anchorage, Alaska. Randall Craig Fleischer was the Music Director until his passing in 2020. Elizabeth Schulze is the current Artistic Advisor and Chief Conductor ...

, and the

Anchorage Opera Anchorage Opera (AO) is a professional opera company located in Anchorage Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The A ...

. As a promoter of music and performer she worked with

Eugene Ormandy Eugene Ormandy (born Jenő Blau; November 18, 1899 – March 12, 1985) was a Hungarian-born American conductor and violinist, best known for his association with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as its music director. His 44-year association with ...

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

Marilyn Horne Marilyn Horne (born January 16, 1934) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She specialized in roles requiring beauty of tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages. She is a recipient of the Nat ...

George Szell George Szell (; June 7, 1897 – July 30, 1970), originally György Széll, György Endre Szél, or Georg Szell, was a Hungarian-born American conductor and composer. He is widely considered one of the twentieth century's greatest condu ...

Van Cliburn Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (; July 12, 1934February 27, 2013) was an American pianist who, at the age of 23, achieved worldwide recognition when he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958 during the Cold ...

Fred Waring Fredrick Malcolm Waring Sr. (June 9, 1900 – July 29, 1984) was an American musician, bandleader, and radio and television personality, sometimes referred to as "America's Singing Master" and "The Man Who Taught America How to Sing". He was also ...

, and

Isaac Stern Isaac Stern (July 21, 1920 – September 22, 2001) was an American violinist. Born in Poland, Stern came to the US when he was 14 months old. Stern performed both nationally and internationally, notably touring the Soviet Union and China, an ...

Later life and legacy

The

Alaska Center for the Performing Arts The Alaska Center for the Performing Arts is a performance venue in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. Opened in 1988, it hosts over 200,000 patrons annually, and consists of three theaters: * Evangeline Atwood Concert Hall, with 2,000 seats, is designed ...

named a lobby in Harrison's honor in 1988. During her later years, Harrison lived in the Anchorage Pioneer Home. In 2000, she co-authored a

biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

with Dianne Barske titled, ''Mostly Music: The Biography of Alaskan Cultural Pioneer Lorene Harrison'', which was written by Dianne Barske. Before her death, a gala was held in her honor at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. She died in 2005. She is buried in the Pioneer Tract area of the

Anchorage Memorial Park The Anchorage Memorial Park, also known as Anchorage Cemetery, is a cemetery located in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. Covering nine city blocks, the cemetery separates the city's downtown and Fairview neighborhoods. The cemetery was esta ...

. In 2009, she was inaugurated into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame. In 2001, the Anchorage Cultural Council instituted an award named in her honor, which it bestows for lifetime achievements in the arts. Harrison was its first recipient.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Lorene 1905 births 2005 deaths American centenarians American choral conductors American milliners Musicians from Anchorage, Alaska People from Sterling, Kansas Sterling College alumni 20th-century American singers Schoolteachers from Kansas Schoolteachers from Alaska 20th-century American women educators 20th-century American conductors (music) American women conductors (music) 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American educators Women centenarians 21st-century American women artists