Will Earhart (1871-1960) was born in Franklin, Ohio. He began his professional teaching career in Ohio, and in 1888 he became music supervisor in the public schools of Greenville, Ohio. In 1898 he moved to Richmond, Indiana where he became Director of the Richmond High School Orchestra and helped establish the Richmond Civic Orchestra. In 1912, Earhart moved to Pittsburgh and became Director of Music in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. A year later, Earhart founded and administered the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Public School Music.
Earhart held several offices in the Music Educators National Conference, including vice president (1910) and president (1915-1916). He was a member of the conference's National Research Council (1919-1944, chairing for a portion of his tenure) and head of the Book and Music Reviews for the Music Educators Journal . During his career, Earhart wrote articles, gave addresses, and authored books, including The Eloquent Baton (c.1931), Music to the Listening Ear (c.1932), The Meaning and Teaching of Music (c.1935), and Choral Technics (c.1937). Earhart died in 1960. In 1986 he was inducted into the Music Educators Hall of Fame.
From the guide to the Will Earhart Papers, 1895-1960, 1934-1958, (Special Collections in Performing Arts)
