Isabel Morse Jones

Isabel Morse Jones
Isabel Morse Jones
	Isabel Morse Jones in 1939
Born	Isabel Morse; 1892; Cleveland, Ohio
Died	September 4, 1951; Rome, Italy
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Music critic, musician, clubwoman

Isabel Morse Jones (1892 – September 4, 1951) was an American musician, arts patron, and clubwoman. She was the music and dance critic at the Los Angeles Times, from 1925 to 1947.

Early life

Isabel Morse was born in 1892 in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of Arthur Mason Morse.^[1]^[2] She was raised in Los Angeles, California.^[3] She attended Los Angeles High School and the University of California, Los Angeles.^[4] She was a descendant of painter and inventor Samuel Morse.^[5] By 1915, she was living in Hermosa Beach and hosting musical events at her home.^[6]

Career

Music and dance

Morse Jones taught and played violin in the Los Angeles Women's Symphony Orchestra. From 1925 until 1947, she was music and dance critic at the Los Angeles Times.^[4] She worked with her friend, society page editor Crete Cage, to build support for a new concert hall for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.^[7] Morse Jones also wrote about music on the Pacific Coast for the Christian Science Monitor and the magazine Musical America.^[4]

Morse Jones lectured on music to community and professional groups,^[8] and spoke about music on Los Angeles radio programs.^[9] She was a founder of the Los Angeles Bureau of Music, and a founding member of the Los Angeles County Music Commission.^[10] She also supported the founding of Henry Cowell's New Music Society in Los Angeles, in 1925.^[11]

Hollywood Bowl

Morse Jones served a press agent for the Hollywood Bowl, and wrote a history of the venue in 1936.^[4]

Personal life

Isabel Morse married Carroll Welborn Jones in 1923.^[12] They had a daughter, Carolyn Mason Jones, who became a noted opera photographer.^[13]^[14] Isabel Morse Jones died while staying with her daughter in Rome in 1951.^[15]

References

^ "Obituary for Arthur Mason MORSE". The Los Angeles Times. 1937-09-03. p. 40. Retrieved 2020-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Memorial Tribute Conducted for Arthur Mason Morse". The Los Angeles Times. 1937-09-06. p. 21. Retrieved 2020-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Who's who in music and dance in Southern California. University of California Libraries. Hollywood : Bureau of Musical Research. 1933. pp. 206–207.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Former Times Music Editor Dies in Rome". The Los Angeles Times. 1951-09-06. p. 32. Retrieved 2020-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Teachers Hear Dr. Aseltine". The Bakersfield Californian. 1943-10-23. p. 5. Retrieved 2020-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Society: Hermosa Beach". The Los Angeles Times. 1915-09-26. p. 39. Retrieved 2020-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Swed, Mark (2014-12-19). "Year in Review: Then and now, L.A. women get things done in classical music". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
^ Saunders, Mae (1943-10-23). "Folk Music Analyzed in Fine Talk by Isabel Morse Jones". The Bakersfield Californian. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "High Lights". The Los Angeles Times. 1934-12-08. p. 4. Retrieved 2020-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Musical Program Will Pay Tribute to Isabel Jones". The Los Angeles Times. 1951-10-01. p. 60. Retrieved 2020-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Mead, Rita H. (1982). "Henry Cowell's New Music Society". The Journal of Musicology. 1 (4): 449–463. doi:10.2307/763678. ISSN 0277-9269. JSTOR 763678.
^ "Engagement Announcement". The Los Angeles Times. 1923-09-02. p. 29. Retrieved 2020-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Schroeder, Mildred (1961-07-04). "She Shutters Over Opera (for Pay)". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 17. Retrieved 2020-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Bloomfield, Arthur (1975-10-31). "Photos from 15 Years at the Opera". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 23. Retrieved 2020-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Isabel Jones' Memory Will be Honored". The Los Angeles Times. 1951-10-07. p. 121. Retrieved 2020-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.