Who's Who in the Archives

Below, you'll find some people and acronyms that appear frequently in this site's archival materials. If someone doesn't appear on this list and you're unable to find information through other sources, please reach out to the site administration (ajbanta@umich.edu) for assistance.

Willis C. Patterson (1930–2025) was the first Black voice professor at SMTD, formerly known as the School of Music. During his tenure at the University of Michigan, Patterson eventually stepped into the role of associate dean, and was a consistent advocate for the inclusion of Black music in curricula and support for racially marginalized students and faculty. He was also a well-regarded bass-baritone, conductor, editor, and music arranger. For more information on Patterson, refer to the Ann Arbor District Library's AACHM Oral History on Willis Patterson, and the Bentley Historical Library's finding aid for the collected Willis C. Patterson papers, 1896-2019.

Madison Foster (1940–) was a lecturer in social work at the University of Michigan and an active member of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers (LRBW). As a faculty member, he was an ardent supporter of the Black Action Movement (BAM)’s 1970 strike at the University of Michigan, and called for other faculty members—especially other Black faculty—to organize in support of BAM’s demands. For a more detailed biography, see the Bentley Historical Library’s Finding Aid for the collected Madison Foster Papers, 1969-1970.

Oral Moses is an American bass-baritone and professor emeritus of Kennesaw State University. He earned his Masters of Music and DMA in Vocal Performance and Opera from the University of Michigan during Willis Patterson’s tenure as a faculty member. While at the University of Michigan, Moses served as the president of the Minority Music Students Association, and led this group in proposing a course on Vocal Music of Black Composers to the School of Music faculty in 1978. For more information, see Oral Moses’s website.

Paul C. Boylan is a professor emeritus of music at the University of Michigan. He joined the faculty in 1965, and served as Dean from 1979-2000, as well as University Vice Provost for the Arts. Boylan was a frequent administrative collaborator of Willis Patterson’s, and appears often in Patterson’s archived letters.

Louise Toppin is an American soprano and a professor of voice at the University of Michigan, where she also earned her DMA in voice. While a graduate student at the University of Michigan, she collaborated with Willis Patterson on initiatives to support racially marginalized students at the School of Music. For more information, see Louise Toppin’s website, and her profile on SMTD’s website.

Some Common Acronyms:

KCP: King/Chavez/Parks Visiting Professorship. This was a university-wide initiative to bring racially marginalized scholars and artists to campus for brief (1–2 week) visits.

SROP: Student Research Opportunity Program. This university-wide program provided opportunities for racially marginalized undergraduate students to work on a faculty-supervised research project over the summer.