Martha Farkas Glaser facts for kids

Martha Farkas Glaser (born February 15, 1921 – died December 3, 2014) was an important person in the music world. She was the manager and business partner for the famous jazz musician, Erroll Garner. Martha also worked hard as a civil rights activist, fighting for fairness and equal rights for everyone. Besides her work with music, she was a talented writer of songs and poems.

Early Life and Education

Martha Glaser was born on February 15, 1921, in Duquesne, Pennsylvania. Her parents, Samuel and Pearl Farkas, came from Hungary. She also had a sister named Bella.

Martha went to Southwestern High School in Detroit, Michigan. After high school, she studied at Wayne State University in Detroit. In 1942, she earned her degree in government. She also studied economics, sociology, and history.

Career and Activism

After college, Martha Glaser worked for the Metropolitan Detroit Youth Council. She also helped the War Manpower Commission. She worked in the publicity department for the Greater Detroit and Wayne County Union Council. During this time, she helped local leaders keep food prices fair. She also helped organize workers, both union and non-union.

Martha studied how to write radio scripts. She wanted to work in journalism and public affairs. After the Detroit race riot of 1943, she became very active in improving race relations. She helped create the Entertainment Industry Emergency Committee. This group worked to stop "race hatred."

From 1944 to 1946, Martha worked for the City of Chicago Mayor's Commission on Human Relations. She handled publicity and press relations. She wrote press releases about race relations. She also planned events for the commission. Martha often spoke on radio shows and at public events. She talked about the commission's work. After this, she worked for the Disc Company in New York City.

In the early 1950s, Martha met the jazz pianist Erroll Garner. He wrote the famous song "Misty." Many artists have recorded "Misty." Erroll Garner's version was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1991. Martha became his manager and business partner. She helped him with his career.

Erroll Garner Archives

The University of Pittsburgh exhibition contains items from Martha Glaser's collection. These are now part of the Erroll Archives at the University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Martha Glaser kept a large collection of Erroll Garner's original recordings and papers. After she passed away, her collection was given to the University of Pittsburgh. This collection is now called the Erroll Archives.

The archives include many important items, such as:

• Letters:
  • Reference letters
  • Condolence letters
  • Letters between Garner's family and Glaser
• Legal documents
• Banking records
• Documents about music royalties
• Trust agreements and wills

Recordings from the archives have been released. Some songs were published for the first time in 2016. In these recordings, you can hear Martha Glaser giving instructions to Erroll Garner. She would speak to him from the control booth during studio sessions.

Personal Life

Martha Glaser used different names during her life. In 1947, she was known as Martha Gleicher. By 1949, she used the name Martha Glaser Gleicher.