Reginald De Koven(1859-1920)

Composer ("Oh, Promise Me") and author, educated at St. John's College in Oxford, England. He also studied with Lebert, Pruckner, Vannucini, von Suppe, Genee, and Delibes. He earned an honorary Mus. D. at Racine College. He first worked in a brokerage firm, and also owned a dry-cleaning business in 1882, becoming a music critic for the Chicago Evening Post in 1889 and Harper's Weekly from 1895-1897, and the New York World between 1898 and 1900 and again between 1907 and 1912. He organized and conducted the Washington, D.C. Symphony Orchestra between 1902 and 1904, and was a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters, and also ASCAP since 1929. He wrote the Broadway stage scores for "The Begum", "Robin Hood", "The Knickerbockers", "The Algerian", "The Fencing Master", "Rob Roy", "The Highwayman", "Papa's Wife", "The Little Duchess", "Maid Marian", "Red Feather", "Happyland", and "The Beauty Spot". His chief musical collaborator was Harry B. Smith, and his other popular-song compositions include "Brown October Ale", "Sweetheart, My Own Sweetheart", "The Spinning Song", "Little Boy Blue", "My Home Is Where the Heather Blooms", "Come, Lads of the Highlands", "Dearest Heart of My Heart", "Do You Remember Love?", "Moonlight Song", Gypsy Song", and "Hammock Love".