Anna Gardner Goodwin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anna Gardner Goodwin
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Anna Gardner Goodwin, in a 1902 publication.
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| Background information | |
| Born | October 1874 Augusta, Georgia |
| Died | 1959 |
| Associated acts | Morehouse College |
Anna Gardner Goodwin (born October 1874 – died 1959) was an American composer. She was known for writing religious songs and marches.
Early Life and Musical Roots
Anna Gardner was born in Augusta, Georgia. Her parents were Daniel and Anna Gardner. Her father, Daniel, was a talented cornet player. People called him "the March King of Augusta." He organized Sunday afternoon concerts for Black people in Augusta.
Anna later wrote about how her father inspired her. She said watching him play with such passion made her want to create music too.
A Career in Music
Anna Gardner Goodwin spent most of her adult life writing and teaching music. She helped her husband with music at Morehouse College. She also played for the school's glee club.
She wrote many songs that were published. Some of her religious songs from 1906 include:
- "I Will Follow Jesus"
- "Do Not Touch the Wine Cup"
- "Jesus Don't Pass Me By"
- "Praise the Lord"
- "Tell the Story Everywhere"
- "Willing Workers"
She also wrote other pieces like "Adalene" (1909) and "I'm Lonely Just for You" (1934). Her last song was "Freedom to All March." She wrote it to remember the 1951 race riot in Cicero, Illinois. Her march "Cuba Libre March" (1898) was even featured in a book called Black Women Composers: A Century of Piano Music, 1893-1990.
In the 1930s, Goodwin also worked as an assistant house director. This was at the Chicago YWCA, an organization that helps women and girls.
Family and Legacy
Anna Gardner married Rev. George A. Goodwin in 1895. He was a theology professor at Morehouse College. They had four children: a son named George Jr., and three daughters named Janie, Anna, and Eunice. Anna became a widow when George passed away in 1914.
After her husband's death, she lived in Chicago with her widowed sister, Janie Gardner Burruss. Anna Gardner Goodwin died in 1959 when she was 85 years old. Her important papers are kept at the Center for Black Music Research. This center is part of Columbia College Chicago.
Anna Gardner Goodwin's musical talent continued through her family. Her granddaughter, Jane Alexander Robinson, helped start the Michigan Association of Black Psychologists. Jane's sons, David E. Robinson III and Richard Robinson, both became professional musicians and composers. Anna Gardner Goodwin's great-grandson, Richard Robinson, joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1989. In 2010, he received a special award called a Kresge Arts Fellowship.
