Library Record
Metadata
Object ID |
2021.07 |
Title |
The Music Woman : a memoir in the form of letters of the 1962-63 school year |
Object Name |
Book |
Author |
Frederic Fox |
Publisher |
fox head press |
Published Date |
2020 |
Description |
Summary on back cover: "Fifth grade teacher Elsie Onychuk of Chevy Chase Elementary School in suburban Washington, D.C. is 'The Music Woman' of this memoir. The American and world folk songs that she taught her class in 1962-1963 are preserved here in letters by Frederic Fox (1917-1981) who served in the Eisenhower White House from 1956 to 1961. The vast majority of these letters are to Josephine Morgan Fox, his mother. There are also six letters to Hannah Fox, his wife. The background of these letters includes the semester (Sept. to Dec. 1961) when Frederic Fox taught writing at Mindolo Ecumenical Institute in Kitwe, Zambia. His book about this experience, 14 Africans vs. One American was published in Dec. 1962. The previous year he had edited two paperbacks, A Calendar of Hymns & Songs of Two Christmases. During 1962-63 he was at work on a book about Church and State, entitled A Porous Wall. On the horizon here is his appointment as Recording Secretary of Princeton University. Editor bio (from back cover): "The editor of this memoir is Donald Hardie "Midge" Fox, a student in Elsie Onychuk's Fifth Grade class in 1962-63. He discovered these letters (along with a few thousand others) in the collection of his father's papers housed in the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas. In 2016, he published his father's biography, The Old Familiar Places. In 2019, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of D-Day, he edited the letters that his father wrote home from June to Sept. 1944, entitled Capt Fred Fox of the Ghost Army and France. Donald Fox is a pastor and hospital chaplain in La Crosse, Wisconsin. " Additional notes: During the period in which these letters were written, the Fox family lived at 7614 Lynn Drive. Frederic Fox worked for the Eisenhower administration from 1956-1961, after which he edited 2 books of songs and then spent a semester teaching in Zambia. In the period of 1962-63, Fox spent time in the Library of the National Cathedral working on his book about church and state. He also worked part-time as a Consultant in Education at the Cleveland Park United Church of Christ. He and his wife were active members of the Bethesda United Church of Christ, of which they were founding members. Frederic and Hannah had 5 children, who are mentioned in the letters. In 1962-63, the oldest Josephine (Jo) was 16 and a junior at BCC High School, Elizabeth (Liz) was a sophomore, Freddy was 12 and in 7th grade at Leland Junior High, Donald ("Midge") was in 5th grade at Rosemary Elementary, and Amy the youngest was 2 years old. Frederic writes to his mother, Josephine, about the goings-on with his family. Many letters include lyrics and verses from songs that Ms. Onychuck is teaching Midge in school. Other noteworthy subjects include: -Midge's paper route, delivering the 80 copies of the Post 7 days a week -Going to Washington Senators games and watching the Yankees win the world series -Worries about the Cuban Missile Crisis -Overviews of the sermons Frederic is preparing or has recently given -Lists of newspaper headlines -Lists of songs from Midge's 5th grade music textbook "Voices of the World" -A visit from one of Frederic's former African students over Christmas break Elsie Onychuck was originally from Canada and taught at the United Nations School in New York City before coming to Rosemary Elementary School (Chevy Chase Elementary). |