Alumni
Fall Reunion Conference
Sept 15-18, 2013
More information available in
March 2013.
Indiana Organists United
Established in 2005, Indiana Organists United (or "IOU") was established through the auspices of the Indiana University Alumni Association for the benefit of graduates and students from the organ department. Through the energy and vision of David K. Lamb (BM/BME '83, MS '85, SME '94, DM '00), IOU has held biennial reunions since 2006 to allow alumni to reconnect with each other and the Bloomington campus. IOU also established the Oswald Gleason Ragatz Distinguished Alumni Award, bestowed upon two oustanding alumni at each biennial reunion. Past winners include:
2006: William F. Entriken (BM '71) and Herndon Spillman (MM '68, DM '77)
2008: Peter Richard Conte (Performer's Certificate '84) and Jesse Eschbach (BM '73, MM '75)
2010: George Ritchie (DM '74) and David Schrader (MM '76, DM '87); posthumous award to Michael Farris (MM '85)
2012: William H. Bates (MM '68, DM '78) and Janette Fishell (BM '81, MM '82)
Current IOU Officers
President: Marko Petricic (MM '99, DM '04)
Vice-President: Patrick Pope (MM '04, DM in progress)
Secretary: Tom Nichols
Past President and Alumni Board Liaison: David Lamb (BM/BME '83, MS '85, SME '94, DM '00)
2009-11 Board of Directors: Edie Johnson (MM '98, DM '03); Tom Nichols (BME '92); Aline Otten (BM '83, MM '86)
2010-12 Board of Directors: John Simpson (MM '69, DM '93); Tom Wood (BM '66, MM '68); Janet Hamilton (MM '79, DM '91)
Organ Professors at IU
The first degree in organ performance was awarded in 1943 to Mary L. Christena (who later became Mary Ragatz, wife of Oswald G. Ragatz, professor of organ from 1942-1983). Since that time, more than 400 students have studied organ in the Jacobs School of Music at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The legacy of organ graduates at Indiana has come full circle, with "one of our own," Janette Fishell (BM '81, MM '82) serving as department chairperson. Dr. Fishell follows in the footsteps of distinguished pedagogues who have taught in the department:
George Wilson (19??-1975; Professor Emeritus, 1975)
Oswald G. Ragatz (1942-1983; Professor Emeritus, 1983)
Robert Rayfield (1963-1990; Professor Emeritus, 1990)
Clyde Holloway (1965-1977)
Wilma Jensen (1977-1981)
Larry Smith (1981-2008; Professor Emeritus, 2008)
Marilyn Keiser (1983-2008; Chancellor's Professor Emeritus, 2008)
Christopher Young (1991- )
John Schwandt (2002-2006)
Todd Wilson (2008-2009)
Janette Fishell (2008- )
Jeffrey Smith (2009-2011)
Bruce Neswick (2011- )
