Born: February 6 1880, United States
Died: October 31 1956
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
Zelia N. Breaux was an American music teacher and musician who played the trumpet, violin and piano. She organized the first music department at Oklahoma’s Langston University, as well as the school’s first orchestra. As the Supervisor of Music for segregated African-American schools in Oklahoma City, Breaux organized bands, choral groups and orchestras, establishing a music teacher in each of the district’s schools. She had a significant influence on many musicians including Charlie Christian and Jimmy Rushing, as well as novelist Ralph Ellison. Breaux was the first woman president of the Oklahoma Association of Negro Teachers and was posthumously inducted into the Oklahoma YWCA Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame.