Neighbor News
Hagan grave-marker unveiled (1st black woman admitted to Morristown Chamber of Commerce)
A grave marker was unveiled in New Haven on Sept 29 for black composer-pianist Helen Hagan. Hagan's studio was in Morristown's Park Sq Bldg
The Helen Eugenia Hagan monument was unveiled at New Haven's Evergreen Cemetery on Sept 29 with an array of government, academic, classical music, and local representatives in attendance. Hagan (1891-1964) was Yale School of Music's first black female graduate, the only female African American musician to entertain the AEF in WWI France, and the first African American to perform a solo recital in a New York concert venue. She had a music studio in Morristown's Park Square Building for at least a decade after she married Morristown's John Taylor Williams in 1920. She is the first African American woman to be admitted to Morristown's Chamber of Commerce.
Read about the unveiling ceremony here:
• New Haven Register (which has video and a gallery of photos from the event)
Find out what's happening in Morristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Find out what's happening in Morristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
New Haven mayor Toni Harp declared the day "Women Making Music Day" in honor of Hagan. Read the official proclamation here.
• Read more on Hagan's life and work
If you know of individuals who were taught by Hagan, please contact Elizabeth Foxwell.
