Archives and Special Collections
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Archives and Special Collections Finding Aids

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Collection Overview
Title:John Ross papers
Dates:1963-2006
Location:65/4
Call Number:M70
Volume:1 cubic ft. (1 box)
Scope and Content Abstract:The John Ross papers document his work as music director of the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts and National Center of Afro-American Artists and his professional activities outside of them. The majority of the collection concerns performances of either Ross or the National Center of Afro-American Artists. This includes scripts, notes, advertisements, programs, and cast lists. Documentation of the annual Black Nativity is most prominent. The collection also contains administrative, programmatic, audiovisual, and student records of Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts and National Center of Afro-American Artists.
Historical Abstract:John Andrew Ross is an accomplished African-American composer, organist, choral conductor, and jazz musician. Born in Boston on December 15, 1940, Ross became the music director at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts in 1970. Working with the school and its parent organization, the National Center of Afro-American Artists, he lead two widely recognized music ensembles, the Voices of Black Persuasion and the Contra-Band. Since 1969, Ross has also been the musical director of the highly acclaimed Langston Hughes gospel play Black Nativity.
Arrangement:Arranged in one alphabetical sequence.
Subjects and Contributors:
  • Lewis, Elma Ina, 1921-
  • Ross, John Andrew, 1940-

  • Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts
  • Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists
  • National Center of Afro-American Artists

  • African American art--Massachusetts--Boston
  • African American artists--Massachusetts--Boston
  • African American music--Massachusetts--Boston
  • African American theater---Massachusetts--Boston
  • African Americans--Education--Massachusetts--Boston
Restrictions:The collection is unrestricted.
Processor:Finding aid prepared by Stein Helmrich, February 2002

Scope and Content Note

The John Ross papers document his work as music director of Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts and National Center of Afro-American Artists and his professional activities outside of them. The majority of the collection concerns performances of either Ross or the National Center of Afro-American Artists. This includes scripts, notes, advertisements, programs, and cast lists. Documentation of the annual Black Nativity is most prominent.

The collection also contains administrative, programmatic, audiovisual, and student records of Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts and National Center of Afro-American Artists. Included are budgets, proposals, applications, schedules, student lists, organizational information, and correspondence. Other records include information about the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists, Elma Lewis (founder of the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts and the National Center of Afro-American Artists), and the National Black Music Colloquium and Competition. There are also two recorded performances of Black Nativity: a CD Master DAT tape from 1995 and a mini-disc from December 8, 1996. In addition, there are two reel-to-reel tapes of Randy Weston performing for the Boston Pops in 1981. During this performance, Weston performed a song titled "Three African Queens: Blues for Elma Lewis." The collection also includes a small number of photographs of performances.

Records relating to his work outside of Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts and National Center of Afro-American Artists include information about his book Climbing Jacob's Ladder, his involvement with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (N.A.A.C.P.), his involvement in the Unitarian Universalist Musician's Network, the annual festival of African Diaspora, and his notes and correspondence, which concern, Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts and National Center of Afro-American Artists among other topics

Historical Note

John Andrew Ross is an accomplished African-American composer, organist, choral conductor, and jazz musician. Ross was born in Boston on December 15, 1940. In 1957, he entered Boston University where he concentrated in church music. He received degrees from the College of Liberal Arts in 1960 and the School of Fine and Applied Arts in 1964.

In 1970, Ross became the music director at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts, which closed in 1990, and its parent organization, the National Center of Afro-American Artists. Working with these organizations, he lead two widely recognized music ensembles, the Voices of Black Persuasion and the Contra-Band. Since 1969, Ross has also been the musical director of the highly acclaimed Langston Hughes gospel play Black Nativity.

Outside of this work, Ross is a member of the American Guild of Organists. On November 12, 1995 he was ordained as the Minister of Music at the First Parish Church in Brookline, Massachusetts, where he had begun serving as music director nine years before. Ross' work can be heard on his CD, Comin' up Shouting: Gospel Songs and Spirituals Newly Arranged. Co-producing with folklore author John Langstaff, Ross has written musical arrangements for two books, Climbing Jacob's Ladder: Heroes of the Bible in African-American Spirituals and What a Morning: The Christmas Story in Black Spirituals, the latter of which won the Corretta Scott King Book Award. He has also received multiple regional Emmy Award nominations. In 1981, he won a regional Emmy with Billy Wilson for "Blues and Gone," a part of the series "Say Brother" produced by Boston's public broadcasting station WGBH. Ross also won the 1990 Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Musical Achievement Award from the city of Boston and the 2000 New England Conservatory Anna Bobbit Gardener Lifetime Achievement Award.
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BoxTitleDate
1Audio Materials: Contracts and Track Listn.d., 1995
Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts
1Applications (3 folders)1982-1985
1Bicentennial Marching Band (2 folders)n.d.
1Generaln.d., 1975-1976
1Music Program Summaries1969-1976
1Registration Forms1981-1984
1Schedules1977, 1984
1Student Listsn.d.,1980-1984
1Lewis, Elma1985-1998
1"Look What A Wonder Jesus Has Done"n.d.
1Museum of the National Center for Afro-American Artists1979-1998
1National Black Music Colloquium and Competition1980
National Center of Afro-American Artists
1Board of Directorsn.d., 1998
1Budget Reports and Proposals1980-1983
1Correspondencen.d., 1976-1985
1Financial1976-1986
1Fundraising1977-1986
1New Building Proposal1999
1Organizational Structuren.d., 1980
Performances
1Battle of the Saxes1994-1995
1Black Nativity (15 folders)1961-1999
1Boston Pops1980-1984
1Bostaph, Noran.d., 1981-1987
1Celebraten.d., 1979
1Columbus Day Weekend, Landover, Marylandn.d.
1First Night1977-1987
1Generaln.d., 1975-1993
1Ladies, Please!1985
1Martin Luther King, Jr. Day1980
1Max Roach on Drums1989
1Milestone's in Black Dance1993
1Music in the Air1981
1Next Time You See Me II1984
1Outside Groupsn.d., 1983-1986
1Past Indicative1986
1Photographsn.d.
1Tribute to Senator Edward Brooke1977
1Personnel Policy1979
1Staff Meetingsn.d.
1Other Groups: Performancesn.d., 1983-1987
Personal
1Climbing Jacob's Ladder1991-1992
1Church Service Bulletins1975-1995
1Correspondencen.d., 1975-1986
1Diasporan.d., 1976-1979
1N.A.A.C.P.1981-1983
1Notesn.d., 1980
1Performances (non- National Center of Afro-American Artists)1963-1991
1Resume and Obituaryn.d., 2006
1Sheet Music Arrangementsn.d.
1"The Web Spinners," Mary C. MacNeil
1Unitarian Universalist Musician's Network1995-1998
Audio material
1CD Master DAT Tape of Black Nativity1995
1Mini-disc of Black Nativity1996
1Randy Weston solo at the Boston Pops1981