See main entry: Reuter Organ Co.
We received the most recent update for this note from Database Manager on April 09, 2020.From Builders Editor, Stephen Hall, October 8, 2019. —
Obituary for Franklin Mitchell:
Franklin Mitchell received a bachelor's degree in music from Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., in 1938. After graduation he taught at his alma mater from 1939 to 1941. He earned his master of music degree in organ from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1943. He was a professor of organ at Linfield College in Minnville, Ore., from 1947 to 1949. He did graduate study at Union Theological Seminary in New York City in 1949-1950 and later taught music at Northwest Missouri State College in Maryville, Mo., before moving to Lawrence, KS.
He began working for the Reuter Organ Co. in 1951 and was appointed tonal director in 1957. He was also the organist and music director of the First United Methodist Church in Lawrence from 1951 to 1961. He was elected vice president of Reuter in 1965 and became president and principal owner in 1980. He became chairman of the board in 1983. He retired in 1995. During his career at Reuter he was responsible for designing more than 800 custom-built pipe organs for churches and universities throughout the United States.
He served as the president of the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America (APOBA) from 1961 to 1963.
He was a World War II veteran.
Source:
From the OHS PC Database, derived from A Guide to North American Organbuilders by David H. Fox (Organ Historical Society, 1991). —
Graduate of University of Michigan; associated with Linfield College of McMinnville, Oregon; with Northwestern Missouri State College of Maryville, Missouri, professor, organist; with Reuter Organ Co. of Lawrence, Kansas, 1955, tonal director; acquired Reuter firm with Albert Neutel, 1980, chairman of board, 1983. Retired 1995. Died March 31, 1998.
Sources:
We received the most recent update for this note from Database Manager on October 08, 2019.