| Harold A. Decker (1914 - 2003), American Choral Music Educator, was one of the notable figures in the development and expansion of choral singing in the twentieth century in the United States of America. This study chronicled Decker's life and professional contributions in four distinct stages: (1) his childhood and schooling (1914–1934), which imparted initial interest and love for music; (2) his early professional life (1934–1944), which provided acumen, experience, and exposure to prominent choral musicians; (3) his tenure at the Municipal University of Wichita (WU) (1944–1957), which facilitated his transition to a position of national prominence and leadership; and (4) his tenure at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) (1957–1981), which afforded him opportunities to bring that national leadership to bear on the rapidly evolving choral music profession in United States.;The purpose of this research was to: (1) chronicle the professional life and contributions of Harold A. Decker, (2) place such events within their appropriate socio-cultural and historical contexts, (3) describe the expansion of Decker's university choral programs, (4) document Decker's seminal work in the American Choral Director's Association, (5) recount the development of the D.M.A. in Choral Music at UIUC within the context of the development of the D.M.A. nationally, (6) consider the factors that precipitated the expansion of the D.M.A. in Choral Music in the decades of the 1960s and 1970s, and (7) discuss the pedagogical dimensions of such expansion.;This investigation argued that the socio-cultural contexts of the United States and the choral profession at large during Decker's lifetime, serendipitous events, economic wherewithal, and fortuitous relationships combined with Decker's ingenuity and his skills as a collaborator to shape each stage of his career. That career uniquely positioned Decker to make significant contributions to the discipline of choral pedagogy. |
