George W. Glover papers

1873-1986

Music and dance promoter, George Washington Glover was a founding member (1919) of the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM) which promoted the careers of black musicians and singers. Born in 1888 in Greenville, South Carolina, he migrated to New York City in 1907 where he helped popularize the cakewalk, a dance craze of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Glover served eighteen years as chairman of NANM's Department of National Exhibits and Archives. He was also a charter member of the Thomas Music Study Club which was organized by the composer and pianist Blanche K. Thomas.

Glover had a lifelong interest in black history as reflected throughhis association with the Manhattan Branch of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. His efforts to publicize and advance cultural accomplishments of African Americans led to his work with the Thomas Music Study Club, the David I. Martin Music School, the Negro Actors Guild, the Harlem Branch of the Young Men's Christian Association, and the Schomburg Collection Endowment Fund. As a result of his contributions to the black community, Glover received many awards in music, black history and masonry. He died in New York City in 1993.