Frances Walker-Slocum (1924–2018)

Frances Walker-Slocum was born Frances Walker in Washington, D. C. on March 6, 1924. When she was 5 years old, her dress caught fire while she was playing with matches. Her right arm was severely burned and she was hospitalized for a year. She underwent several operations, but her right arm toon meer remained shorter and weaker than her left, its movement impaired. She received a bachelor's degree in music from Oberlin College and Conservatory and a master's degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. She became a classical pianist. She performed at Carnegie Recital Hall in Manhattan, Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Kennedy Center. Her performance at a bicentennial concert at Oberlin in 1976 was so impressive that she was immediately hired to teach there. She had taught at Oberlin from 1976 until she retired in 1991. She was the first black female tenured professor. Her memoir, A Miraculous Journey, was published in 2006. She died on June 9, 2018 at the age of 94. (Bowker Author Biography) toon minder