Born: 28 July 1896, United States
Died: 11 May 1992
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Loretta Cessor, L.C. Manggrum
The following is republished from the Library of Congress. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
1896 July 28 Born in Gallipolis, Ohio, to John Cessor and Lillian Jane Fitch
1902 Played piano at her Sunday School at the local African Methodist Episcopal church
circa 1911 Joined a trio playing at several ‘white’ hotels around Huntington, West Virginia, earning 25 to 35 dollars per week
1918 Married William Manggrum in Cabell County, West Virginia. The couple moved first to Milwaukee, then to Pittsburgh, where William studied pharmacy
1926 Moved with family to Cincinnati, Ohio
1935 Opened a drugstore where the whole family worked
1945 Completed high school diploma
1951 Earned Bachelor of Music degree from Ohio State University. Became the first Black student to enroll at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music
1953 Earned her Master of Music degree in composition from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music at age 57, the first Black student to do so
1955 Death of William Manggrum
1958 Premier of Watch, a 90-minute cantata
1961-1971 Taught music full time at Garfield Elementary School, Cincinnati
1976 Returned to the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music for doctoral studies, but only incidentally, to work toward a PhD at age 80
1978 Named Woman of the Year by The Cincinnati Enquirer
1986 Conferred an honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of Cincinnati, recognizing her contributions to the field of music and to the city of Cincinnati
1992 May 11 Died in Hamilton, Ohio
1992 Buried next to her husband in the Spring Hill Cemetery in Huntington, West Virginia
2010 Eric Oliver founded the Loretta C. Manggrum Chorale in Cincinnati to honor his mentor and ensure that the music of Manggrum and other African American composers continue to be performed