James John De Jonge Collection, 1941-1978 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

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Collection Overview

Title: James John De Jonge Collection, 1941-1978

ID: COLL/051

Primary Creator: De Jonge, James John (1910-2005)

Extent: 7.0 Boxes. More info below.

Arrangement: Folder level description

Subjects: Back to God hour, Calvin College - Opera, Calvin College. Department of Music, Music - Study and teaching (Higher), Radio and music, University of Northern Iowa. Department of Music.

Abstract

Professor of music at the University of Northern Iowa and Calvin College; director of the Radio Choir of the Back to God Hour. The collection includes lectures, articles, class notes, correspondence, programs, recitals, radio bulletins, diaries of the Radio Choir

Tours written by students, a collection of "Historic Hymns" which are original scripts of a weekly radio program from the studio of the University of Northern Iowa, plus source and publicity files on the history of opera at Calvin College, 1957-1976.

Biographical Note

James John De Jonge was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on January 23, 1910. He graduated from Calvin College in 1931 and then received his master’s degrees in both physics and music at the University of Michigan. De Jonge started his career as a schoolteacher. De Jonge taught at Zeeland Christian, Oakdale Christian School, and East Grand Rapids High School. From 1941-1947 he moved on to become faculty at Iowa State Teacher’s College. He was Associate Professor of Music and Assistant Director of a college-affiliated radio station. He also taught math and physics for the Army Air Corps.

In 1947, he accepted the faculty position of Associate Professor of Music at Calvin. Although he remained at Calvin until his retirement in 1976, De Jonge was very much involved with the community outside the classroom. From 1947-1972 he was Director of the Radio Choir which performed on the “Back to God Hour.” De Jonge also was a frequent speaker, wrote numerous articles, judged high school and college music festivals, and a tenor soloist amongst a great number of other involvements.

On a personal level, De Jonge was husband to Helen Gezon. Together they had two children-a daughter, Elizabeth, and a son, James John. His son had preceded De Jonge in death. The De Jonge family were members of the Brookside Christian Reformed Church and while in Iowa, they were involved with the Waterloo Orthodox Presbyterian Church. De Jonge passed away on April 10, 2005 at the age of 95.

Subject/Index Terms

Back to God hour
Calvin College - Opera
Calvin College. Department of Music
Music - Study and teaching (Higher)
Radio and music
University of Northern Iowa. Department of Music.

Administrative Information

Repository: Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

Alternate Extent Statement: 3.0 cubic ft.

Acquisition Source: Gift of J.J. De Jonge

Other Note: See also the Campus Titles Database.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Articles, Materials, Correspondence, 1941-1976],
[Series 2: Articles and Materials],
[Series 3: Opera at Calvin College, 1957-1976],
[Series 4: Radio Choir, 1947-1978],
[All]

Series 1: Articles, Materials, Correspondence --- 1941-1976

Box 1

Folder 1: Personal materials
Folder 2: Correspondence while at the University of Northern Iowa --- 1941-1947
Folder 3: Correspondence while at Calvin College --- 1947-1976
Folder 4: Recital and solo singing programs --- 1941-1976
Folder 5: Oratorio singing performances --- 1941-1976

Box 2

Folder 1: Student recital programs of voice majors --- 1947-1976
Folder 2: Student recital programs of general voice students --- 1947-1976
Folder 3-4: Articles written for educational and religious magazines

Series 2: Articles and Materials

Box 3

Folder 1: Articles written for educational and religious magazines
Folder 2: Materials for Music 211, Introduction to Music Literature
Folder 3: Materials for Music 211, Program Music
Folder 4: Materials for Music 212, Baroque Era
Folder 5: Materials for Music 212, 20th Century Music
Folder 6: Materials for Music 212, 18th Century Classicism
Folder 7: Materials for Music 212, Contemporary Period

Box 4

Folder 1: American Music materials for Interim course
Folder 2: Art Song materials for Interim course
Folder 3: Oratorio materials for Interim course
Folder 4: Beethoven's 9th Symphony Interim course

Series 3: Opera at Calvin College --- 1957-1976

Box 5

Folder 1: History of opera at Calvin College through 1976

Folder 2: "Amahl and the Night Visitors," by Gian Carlo Menotti. Materials dealing with its presentation, first one --- 1957-1958

Folder 3

Item 1: Correspondence, programs, publicity --- 1957-1964
Item 2: Director scores of "Amahl," by Menotti; "Lost in the Stars," by Weill; "Slow Dusk," by Floyd

Folder 4: Libretto of "Gianni Schicchi," by Puccini

Series 4: Radio Choir --- 1947-1978

Box 6

Folder 1: Record of weekly musical selections --- December 7, 1947 to December 17, 1972
Folder 2: Radio logs --- 1947-1959
Folder 3: Correspondence --- 1949-1961
Folder 4: Correspondence --- 1962-1978
Folder 5: Personal correspondence
Folder 6: Radio bulletins and other material --- 1952-1959
Folder 7: Diaries of Radio Choir tours written by students --- 1949-1952
Folder 8: Radio logs --- 1947-1959
Folder 9: Radio bulletins and other materials --- 1952-1959
Folder 10: Photos of the Radio Choir, Grand Rapids, MI
Folder 11: Back to God Hour Radio Choir "Forty-Niners" Scrapbook --- 1949

Box 7

Item 1: "Historic Hymns." Original scripts of a weekly radio program emanating from the studios of the University of Northern Iowa. The scripts were written and announced and the hymns were sung by James De Jonge --- 1943-1947.