Alta Freeman

Position: 
Music Faculty

Freeman Rites Held Yesterday; Burial Saturday; Member of College Faculty for 14 Years Funeral services were held yesterday afternoon at the First Presbyterian church for Miss Alta Freeman, a member of the music faculty for the past fourteen years. The services were conducted by Dr. Harold Bosley, pastor of the College Hill Interdenominational Church. Interment will be at Le Mars, Iowa, tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. Miss Freeman died at Sartori Hospital last Monday, February 22, 1937, after a brief illness of pneumonia. She was taken sick Thursday, February 18, and was removed to the hospital when her condition failed to improve. Following her graduation from the public schools of Le Mars, Miss Freeman attended the New England Conservatory of Music at Boston, receiving a piano soloist diploma in 1912. For two years she was an instructor at Miss Porter's school at Farmington, Connecticut. During 1920-21 Miss Freeman served as professor of piano at Central Missouri State Teachers College at Warrensburg, Missouri. She also taught at Western Union College at Le Mars and at Morningside College in Sioux City. Miss Freeman became a member of the music faculty at Teachers College in 1923. She received the bachelor and master of music degrees from the Chicago Musical College in 1931 and 1932. During the summer of 1926 she studied at Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris, France. Rudolph Ganz, who appeared here only a short time ago, is only one of the famous pianists under whom Miss Freeman had studied. Others were Josef Lhevinne, F. Addison Porter, Felix Fox, Carlo Buonamici, and Alfred Cartot. Her mother, Mrs. W. S. Freeman, San Diego, California; her sister, Mrs. Mary Haley, Boston, Massachusetts; and a brother, Bert Freeman, Prescott, Arizona, survive her. Pallbearers were Dr. M. J. Nelson, Dr. Leland Sage, Dr. Irving Wolfe, Mr. I. H. Hart, Mr. Harald Holst, and Mr. Edward Kurtz. In memory of Miss Freeman, Sigma Alpha Iota, national honorary music fraternity, is offering a scholarship at Teachers College each quarter to a woman student. The scholarship will pay the piano tuition of the student selected. Three members of the music faculty will act as judges and the award will be made on the basis of scholarship, personality, and the needs of the student. The College Eye Member of College Music Department Victim of Pneumonia Funeral arrangements for Miss Alta Freeman, a member of the Iowa State Teachers College music faculty since 1923, who died of pneumonia at 5 p. m. Monday, February 22, 1937, in Sartori Memorial Hospital, have been tentatively announced for Thursday afternoon. She will be buried in Le Mars, her birthplace. Appearing to be slightly ill Thursday, she was taken to her home at 2419 Tremont Street, Cedar Falls, by Edward Kurtz, head of the music department. Saturday she entered Sartori Hospital and was reported to be improving as late as Monday noon. Miss Freeman studied under such famous pianists as Rudolph Ganz, who was her guest during his recent concert visit here, Josef Lhevinne, F. Addison Porter Felix Fox, Carlo Buonamici, and Alfred Cortot. Many of her students have won recognition in state and national contests. Miss Freeman had attended many international music conventions in Europe where she traveled widely. She joined the Teachers College faculty in 1923 as an instructor in piano, and three years ago was promoted to assistant professor of piano. Before coming to Cedar Falls she was professor of piano at Western Union College, Le Mars, for two years. Miss Freeman began her teaching career at Morningside College in 1914. For two years she was an instructor in piano at Miss Porter's school for girls at Farmington, Connecticut, beginning in 1916, and she was professor of piano at Central State Teachers College at Warrensburg, Missouri, during 1920-21. She received her bachelor and master of music degrees in 1931 and 1932 from the Chicago Musical College after attending the American Conservatory of Music, Chicago, in 1922. She earned scholarships to Chicago Musical College and the New England Conservatory. Miss Freeman studied at Ecole Normale de Musique, Paris, France, during the summer of 1926. Born at Le Mars on February 1, 1892, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Freeman, she was graduated from the Le Mars public schools and attended the New England Conservatory, Boston, earning a piano soloist diploma in 1912. She is survived by her mother, Mrs. W. S. Freeman, San Diego, California; a sister, Mrs. Mary West Haley, Wellsley Hills, Massachusetts, who is expected to arrive in Cedar Falls at 6:30 Tuesday night; and a brother, Bert Freeman, Prescott, Arizona. Copyright Waterloo Courier