Carol Truax facts for kids

Carol Truax (born October 3, 1899, died June 1986) was an American woman who loved music and cooking. She worked as an arts leader and wrote many cookbooks. She was well-known for her work at Colorado College. There, she was the Executive Director of Fine Arts from 1945 to 1951. She also advised the State University of New York on fine arts. One of her most famous books was Liberace Cooks, published in 1970. Her sister, Rhoda Truax, was also a writer.

Growing Up

Carol Truax grew up in New York City. Her father, Charles Henry Truax, was a judge. In 1920, she moved to Colorado to improve her health. For many years, she ran a popular bookstore in Colorado Springs. Later, in 1940, she became the manager of the Colorado College Bookstore.

Leading the Arts

Carol Truax became a key person in the arts at Colorado College. In 1941, she helped organize a concert for the Stokowski Youth Orchestra. This led to her becoming the college's Promotional Secretary. She later became the Executive Secretary in 1945. By 1947, she was the Executive Director of the Fine Arts Departments. These departments included Music, Dance, and Drama.

During her time at the college, she helped many arts groups. She served on the boards for the Civic Players and the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra. She also worked with the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.

Under her leadership, the college's music programs grew. Famous musicians like Roy Harris and Johana Harris taught there. The voice department also became stronger. The LaSalle String Quartet even lived and performed at the college. Many other famous musicians visited during summer sessions. These included Paul Hindemith and Virgil Thomson.

In 1951, Carol Truax left Colorado College. She took a job at the Aspen Institute. She also became the Director of Publicity for the Aspen Festival. Just two months later, she was asked to study the fine arts programs. This was for 33 colleges in the State University of New York. She was given a full professorship there. Carol Truax later married Gustave Reese, a music historian.

From 1961, she directed the Broadmoor International Theatre. This theater was in Colorado Springs. She booked many famous performers like Liberace, the Smothers Brothers, and Dinah Shore. Performers often liked to come to Colorado Springs. They would sometimes accept less money to combine work with a vacation. Some even used the Broadmoor as a place to test new acts. They would try out their shows there before performing in places like Las Vegas.

Writing Cookbooks

Carol Truax was a talented writer. She wrote or edited over 20 cookbooks. Many of these were for popular magazines. These included Woman's Day and Ladies Home Journal. She also wrote regularly for Gourmet magazine.

One of her most famous books was Liberace Cooks. She wrote this book with the famous pianist and showman, Liberace. Published in 1970, it shared recipes from Liberace's seven dining rooms.