Tennessee State University - Tennessean Yearbook (Nashville, TN)

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Lyceum Features. - In the early forties and fifties, black artists, regardless of their calibre, were not readily welcomed to the concert halls throughout the country and even less in the deep SOUlh- The 0011333 auditorium, therefore, served as a concert hall for the local black citizenry who were interested in etilturetl events as well as the college students. Among the celebrities presented at Tennessee A. and 1. State UanCI'Sl- ty who became immortal memories were the following: Dorothy Maynor 1953 Lois Towles 1954 Marian Anderson Ray Charles 1961 Jackie Wilson 1961 However, the Lyceum features of this period were not limited to artists from the popular musu: field. During 1961, presentations included the Shakespearean Play, uThe Merchant of Venice,n performed by the Players Incorporated, a touring company, and the Johnson Dancers from New York City. The hycettm series also included the DePaur Chorus, the Krakow choir and violinist Charles Treger. The Universuy Presented one ofits own in concert in 1967. She was a young lady by the name of Carla Thomas who wrote and sang as a recording artist while a freshman at the University. 091193013133 PerformingArtists. w After thirty-one years of existence the colleges reputation in the realm 0f performing arts had become widely admired and acclaimed. Mrs. Marie Brooks-Strange had brought the Concert Singers to the epitome of artistic perfection, and Miss Laura M. Averitte had organized dramatic groups for all ages. What was more important for the Davis administration was that these two contagiously enthusiastic artists were available for service when President Davis was inaugurated. The traditions that they were nurturing were waiting with anxiety for signs of endorsement and support from the new chiefad- ministrator in 1943. Evidently signs that came forth were unmistakably on the positive side.