Richard Vickrey Madden was born in 1912 to the Colonel and Mrs. C.M. Madden. Madden was an accomplished oboist and violinist from an early age, placing first in State Competitions for violin in 1928 and second place in National Competitions for oboe in the same year. In 1929 he placed third for oboe in National Competitions. He was Band Cadet Captain for the Senn High School Band, as well as principal oboist and English horn player.
From Senn, Madden went on to Northwestern University to study music education, receiving his bachelor's degree in 1933 and his master's in 1941.
From 1937 to 1942, Madden was the band director for the Evanston Township and Haven High School Bands. In 1942, he left Evanston and Haven to direct the Syracuse University Band and teach woodwinds. He also taught at Northwestern and Ohio State Universities at this time, directing summer session clinics at Northwestern and teaching woodwinds at Ohio.
Richard V. Madden died in 1987.
From the guide to the Richard V. Madden Collection, 1882-1980, 1930-1940, (Special Collections in Performing Arts)
