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I see this Decca record on Archive.org that mentions Caleb W. O'Connor: https://archive.org/search.php?query=Caleb%20W.%20O%27Connor Hope it helps. Gene Baron On Wed, Nov 24, 2021 at 11:29 AM Paul T. Jackson <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I'm probably not going to be very helpful with this suggestion, but I'm > wondering if you have checked with the local historical societies? I've > been able to find film of my father in the 1920s that way. > > best wishes, > Paul > > Paul T. Jackson > Trescott Research > Steilacoom, WA 98338 > [log in to unmask] > trescottresearch.com > > On Wed, Nov 24, 2021, 8:12 AM ANONYMOUS USER < > [log in to unmask] wrote: > > > Hello, > > > > I am in much disillusion after many months of research, turning up almost > > nothing, on a composer from the early 1900s who went onto do radio in > > Washington D.C. > > > > The man in question was Caleb W. O'Connor (not to be confused with a big > > band musician/arranger, Caleb O'Connor* *this was his son). He became > > recognized as such in 1904, after he and a fellow student at Yale Law > > School published "Down the Field", one of the football team's most > popular > > fight songs. It was in subsequent years that O'Connor became known as a > > composer of college songs. He published his own sentimental and > > popular-type of songs as well, encompassing the areas of Washington, > > Philadelphia and New Haven, Conn. > > > > For a great while, I have searched for recordings of these songs. > > Obviously, "Down the field" was the predominant result in its' number of > > printed copies now acquired by colleges, and a couple recordings by later > > groups. Surprisingly though, recordings such as one made by Rudy Vallee > in > > 1930 for Victor Records, was hidden amongst a sea of Internet Archive > > items. Unless searched for very specifically, no result. On the other > hand, > > this was from a different generation, and finding a period-accurate > > recording proved most difficult. The closest match was from a Canadian > > archive of wax cylinder recordings, from 1909. All other songs have > proven > > next to impossible in finding a recording, despite the likelihood of > these > > songs being recorded by popular artists Caleb O'Connor knew in his > career. > > These included Barry Scanlon, Irish baritone from New York, Caroline B. > > Nichols of Boston (Fadette Ladies' Orchestra leader), and many others. A > > partial list of compositions can be seen here: > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:C.W._O%27Connor_(Composer) > > > > In addition to composing, Caleb O'Connor became a speech expression > > instructor, working mostly within Washington. This became part of his > radio > > broadcasts in the 1920s on, which is another long story. It seems he was > > likely the first to broadcast a radio show in that area in 1922 at the > > former WJH station. Later radio station associations were with WMAL and > > WCAP. I have asked specialists from the Library of Congress if there are > > recorded broadcasts from that era and later in their possession, but > there > > was little to be found. I have also reached out to what I assume are the > > modern-day subsidiaries of these old stations, including WMAL, with no > > response. It would be very interesting to hear what Caleb's broadcasts > were > > like. Local archived newspapers regularly promoted the broadcasts and the > > stations themselves in articles. So, I would be surprised if nothing > > exists. See link above for more context. > > > > If anyone out there can recall seeing any record labels, something in a > > library/other archive, or has heard Caleb O'Connor's music, do let me > know! > > He was active in publishing music up until the early 1950s. Additional > > titles are much appreciated. He may have also went by the name Donald > > Gordon in Philadelphia, and "Bill Brand" when he had a show called "Brand > > News" in Washington. > > >