Latham, William P., 1917-2004

William Peters Latham, Sr. (4 January 1917 Shreveport, Louisiana – 24 February 2004 Denton, Texas) was an American composer and music educator.

Teaching career
Latham was educated in Kentucky, Ohio, and New York, completing degrees in composition and theory at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Later, he was awarded a Ph.D. in composition at the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York (1951). His principal composition teachers were Sir Eugene Aynsley Goossens and Howard Hanson.

Latham taught theory and composition at the University of Northern Iowa from 1946 to 1965, attaining the rank of Professor of Music in 1959. In 1965 he joined the faculty of the University of North Texas College of Music as Professor of Music and Coordinator of Composition. He was appointed Director of Graduate Studies in Music in 1969. In 1978 he was promoted to the rank of Distinguished Professor of Music, the University's highest rank. Only seven other faculty members of the University had been so honored at that time. He retired from active service at UNT in June, 1984, and he was formally designated Professor Emeritus by the Board of Regents in November, 1984.

Compositions
Latham composed 118 works; 62 have been published, 56 remain in manuscript, but all have been performed, many throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan. He received numerous awards and commissions (29). His orchestral works have been performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Eastman-Rochester Philharmonic, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and Radio Orchestras in Brussels, Belgium and Hilversum, Holland, under such well known conductors as Eugene Goossens, Howard Hanson, Thor Johnson, Anshel Brusilow, John Giordano, and Walter Susskind.

Death
Latham died in Denton, Texas on February 24, 2004.

Name: William P Latham
Birth Year: abt 1917
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age in 1930: 13
Birthplace: Louisiana
Marital Status: Single
Relation to Head of House: Son
Home in 1930: Wilmore, Jessamine, Kentucky, USA
Map of Home: View map
Street Address: Colliege St
House Number: 205
Dwelling Number: 49
Family Number: 51
Attended School: Yes
Able to Read and Write: Yes
Father's Birthplace: Louisiana
Mother's Birthplace: Louisiana
Able to Speak English: Yes

Joan Seyler Latham passed away Sunday, June 25, 2017 at the age of 96. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 27, 1921. She is survived by her daughters Leslie and Carol, her grandchildren Christopher Boyer and Shannon Blackwell, as well as three great grandchildren.

Growing up Joan played the piano and viola. She earned a Masters of Composition from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. While going to the conservatory Joan met a fellow composition student, William P. Latham, who she would marry in 1946. Joan spent many late nights copying her husband’s music in preparation for performances or for submissions to publishers. On their 50th wedding anniversary William composed a special piece for Joan declaring his love for her and what she meant to him over the years. It was performed at the University of North Texas School of Music. She was also a choir director for her church in Iowa. She played the piano up until a few days prior to her death. Music enriched her life up until her death.

... A World War II veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart, he wrote for and performed in the 10th Cavalry Band.

... Dr. Latham joined the faculty for the second half of the summer session ... [he] taught at North Texas State during 1938-1939, at Eastern Illinois State Teachers College in 1946, and at the State College of Iowa, 1946-65. He served in the U.S. Army, 1942-1946.

Name: William Lathan
Age: 3
Birth Year:
Birthplace: Louisiana
Home in 1920: Cincinnati Ward 9, Hamilton, Ohio
Street: Young St
Residence Date: 1920
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son
Marital status: Single
Father's Name: Laurance L Lathan
Father's Birthplace:
Mother's Name: Eugenia Lathan
Mother's Birthplace:
Occupation: None
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Laurance L Lathan 44
Eugenia Lathan 43
Joy Lathan 21
Mary Lathan 15
Ruby Lathan 12
William Lathan 3

William Peters Latham was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, January 4, 1917. He was educated in Kentucky, Ohio, and New York. He completed degrees in composition and theory at the Cincinnati College of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio. Later, he was awarded a Ph. D. in composition at the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York (1951). His principal composition teachers were Eugene Goossens and Howard Hanson. Professor Latham taught theory and composition at the University of Northern Iowa from 1946 to 1965, attaining the rank of Professor of Music in 1959. In 1965 he joined the faculty of the College of Music at the University of North Texas as Professor of Music and Coordinator of Composition. He was appointed Director of Graduate Studies in Music in 1969. In 1978 he was promoted to UNT's highest rank, Distinguished Professor of Music. Only seven other faculty members of the University of North Texas had been so honored at that time. He retired from active service at UNT in June 1984; he was formally designated Professor Emeritus by the Texas Board of Regents in November 1984. Dr. Latham composed 118 works; sixty-two have been published, sixty-six remain in manuscript, but all have been performed in the U. S. and abroad. He received over twenty-five awards and commissions. His orchestral works have been performed by the Cincinnati Symphony, the Eastman-Rochester Philharmonic, the Dallas Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, and Radio Orchestras in Brussels, Belgium and Hilversum, Holland, under such well known conductors as Eugene Goossens, Howard Hanson, Thor Johnson, Anshel Brusilow, John Giordano, and Walter Susskind. Professor Latham died in Denton, Texas, on February 24, 2004. From an article by Carol Latham that appeared in Rhythms, the newsletter of the UNI School of Music, Fall 2005, page 27.

Name: William Latham
Age: 23
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1917
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: Louisiana
Marital Status: Single
Relation to Head of House: Son
Home in 1940: Wyoming, Hamilton, Ohio
Map of Home in 1940: View map
Street: Allen Avenue
House Number: 18
Inferred Residence in 1935: Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio
Residence in 1935: Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio
Resident on farm in 1935: No
Sheet Number: 2A
Occupation: Teacher
Attended School or College: Yes
Highest Grade Completed: College, 4th year
Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker in private work
Weeks Worked in 1939: 36
Income: 1800
Income Other Sources: No
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members Age Relationship
Lawrence Latham 64 Head
Eugenia Latham 64 Wife
Joy Latham 40 Daughter
Mary Latham 35 Daughter
Ruby Latham 32 Daughter
William Latham 23 Son

Latham, William P(eters), American composer and educator; b. Shreveport, La., Jan. 4, 1917. He studied trumpet at the Cincinnati Cons, of Music (1936–38). He received his B.S. degree in music education from the Univ. of Cincinnati (1938) and continued his studies at the Coll. of Music in Cincinnati (B.M., 1940; M.M., 1941). Subsequently he studied composition with Hanson and Elwell at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. (Ph.D., 1951). During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army as a cavalry bandsman and later as an infantry platoon leader in active combat in Germany in 1945. After the war, he taught at Iowa State Teacher’s Coll. in Cedars Falls (1946–65), becoming a prof, at North Tex.

State Univ. in Denton in 1965, director of graduate studies in music in 1969, and Distinguished Prof, in 1978. He retired in 1984. He excelled as a composer of sacred choruses and band music; in the latter, he boldly experimented with modern techniques, as exemplified by his Dodecaphonic Set and, most spectacularly, in Fusion, in which he endeavored to translate the process of atomic fusion into musical terms through an ingenious application of asymmetrical rhythms.