Eleanor Smith
Eleanor Sophia Smith (June 15, 1858 – June 30, 1942) was an American composer and music educator. She was one of the founders of Chicago's Hull House Music School, and headed its music department from 1893 to 1936. Born into a musical family, Smith taught herself to play the piano and later became a classically trained musician. Earning a teaching degree, she began publishing music compositions for children using the philosophy of Friedrich Fröbel, advocating for less memorization and drilling and more attention to intuitive appreciation of music. Studying composition and voice in Germany, she also toured the country observing choirs and their teaching techniques. Returning to the United States in 1890, Smith began working at the settlement house, Hull House, as a music instructor. Within three years she had co-founded the Hull House Music School, a school which followed her progressive teaching ideas, cross-training students in vocal music as well as instruments. Simultaneously, she worked in several institutions in the Chicago area which trained music educators. Smith published numerous compilations of songs, including two six-volume textbook series, which were widely used throughout the United States. Most of her writings were focused on children's voices and contained short songs written with attention paid to the limited range and short attention span of children. Many of her compositions were still being used in music education programs in the latter part of the 20th century. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Atlanta (city in Logan County, Illinois, United States), Died June 30, 1942 (Midland (city in Michigan, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1911 - 1932
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | B-10972 | 10-in. | 9/15/1911 | A dew drop | Elizabeth Wheeler | Female vocal solo, with piano | composer, lyricist | |
| Victor | B-12825 | 10-in. | 1/22/1913 | The oriole's nest | Elizabeth Wheeler | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | composer, lyricist | |
| Victor | BVE-36175 | 10-in. | 9/10/1926 | A dew drop | Erva Giles | Female vocal solo, with piano | composer, lyricist | |
| Victor | BRC-71990 | 10-in. | 3/23/1932 | Hallowe'en | Anna Howard | Female vocal solo, with piano | songwriter | |
| Victor | BRC-71991 | 10-in. | 3/23/1932 | Autumn colors (Swedish folk song) | Myrtle C. Eaver ; Lucy Isabelle Marsh | Female vocal solo, with piano | composer | |
| Victor | [Trial 1926-04-12-02] | 10-in. | 4/12/1926 | A dew drop | Mrs. S. J. Marble | Female vocal solo, with piano | composer, lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Smith, Eleanor," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109725.
Smith, Eleanor. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109725.
"Smith, Eleanor." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Smith, Eleanor, 1858-1942 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no93027048
Wikidata: Eleanor Sophia Smith - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q22019410
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/24172582
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/328751 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/328751
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