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A Guide to his Papers at the Indiana University Archives

Processed by Dina M. Kellams
Electronic finding aid encoded by Dina M. Kellams

Summary Information

Repository
Indiana University Archives
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library E460
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-1127
Email: archives@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives

Creator
Broom, John J. W., 1917-2000.

Collection No.
C232

Extent
.4 cubic feet

Language
Materials are in English.

Abstract
John J.W. "Bill" Broom was an Indiana University alumnus who was active in the concert band, orchestra, and taps while a student. He served with the Fort Wayne, Ind. Community Schools for 44 years, retiring as music director in 1984. This collection consists of Broom's correspondence from his time as a student at IU and a single newsletter from the IU Young Men's Christian Association, the Y's Men.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Advance notice is required.

Biographical Note

John J. W. “Bill” Broom, left Fort Wayne, Ind. to begin his undergraduate work at Indiana University in the fall of 1937. He was a music major, earning his Bachelor of Public School Music in 1939. He stayed at IU to pursue a graduate degree, but his work at the University was interrupted by his Army service in World War II. He continued work on the degree after the war and earned a Masters of Music in 1948.

A flute and horn player, Broom was active in the concert band, orchestra, chorus, taps, and the Young Men’s Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.). He was also a member of Phi Delta Kappa, an educational association, and Kappa Kappa Psi, a fraternal organization for university and college band members. Additionally, he served as an assistant in the Music Department his senior year.

Broom served with the Fort Wayne Community Schools for 44 years, retiring as music director in 1984. Active in his community, he was a member of the following organizations: the American Legion Post 47 and director of its band, the Fort Wayne Retired Teachers, Mason Lodge 349, Mizpah Shrine Temple and director emeritus of the Shrine Band, New Haven United Methodist Church, Scottish Rite, Foster Park Lions Club, I.O.O.F. Lodge 140, and Musicians Union Local 58.

Broom passed away September 21, 2000.

Arrangement

Organized into two series: Correspondence and Publications.

Scope and Content Note

Organized into two series, Correspondence and Publications. The Correspondence series is the larger series in the collection and is further organized into 2 subseries: Parents’ correspondence and General correspondence. The Parents’ correspondence subseries consists entirely of Broom’s incoming and outgoing correspondence with his parents while he was a student at Indiana University. In the letters he writes in detail about his involvement with the IU concert band and orchestra, trips the band takes throughout the country, as well as his coursework. He also frequently writes about his car they affectionately call “Lizzie.” The files are arranged chronologically, with his more numerous outgoing correspondence placed first in the box and his parents’ letters following. The General correspondence subseries consists entirely of incoming correspondence received by Broom from friends and associates, many IU students themselves. Prominently featured is correspondence from friend Allen R. Markee, who was a member of the band before leaving IU to pursue other interests.

The Publications series consists of one item, a Y’s Men newsletter from the IU Y.M.C.A. It is undated, but is numbered vol. 1 and states, “Allow us to present the introductory number of the Indiana Y’s Men .” Based on the content of the newsletter, it was probably produced in December 1937 or January 1938.

• Indexing Terms

• The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in IUCAT, the IU Libraries' online catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by searching the catalog using these terms.

• • Names
  • Indiana University --Students --Archives.
  • Indiana University --Students --Correspondence.
  • Indiana University --Students --History --20th century --Sources.
  • Indiana University --Alumni and alumnae --Archives.
  • Indiana University --Alumni and alumnae --Correspondence.
  • Indiana University Bands --History --20th century --Sources.
  • Young Men's Christian Association (Indiana University) --History --20th century --Sources.
  • Broom, John J. W., 1917-2000 --Archives.
  • Broom, John J. W., 1917-2000 --Correspondence.
  • Broom, Ida J. --Correspondence
  • Markee, Allen R. --Correspondence
  • Broom, Ida J. Correspondence. Selections.
  • Markee, Allen R. Correspondence. Selections.
• • Topics
  • College students --Indiana --Bloomington --Archives.
  • College students --Indiana --Bloomington --Correspondence.
  • Bands (Music) --Indiana --Bloomington --History --20th century --Sources.
  • Band musicians --Indiana --Bloomington --Archives.
  • Band musicians --Indiana --Bloomington --Correspondence.
• • Titles
  • Y's Men (Indiana University)

Administrative Information