Demaris Hansen

One Hundred Years of Hartt

Demaris Hansen

<P>One Hundred Years of Hartt: A Centennial Celebration recounts the development and history of what is now the University of Hartford's The Hartt School, founded in 1920. The school's rich history is highlighted by dynamic and colorful leaders whose deep desire to promote the arts propelled them through a century of challenging world and personal events. Drawing on archives and interviews and lavished with illustrations, this book explores the close, generative relationship between the school and the greater Hartford community—in particular the Jewish and African American communities—from its inception to the twenty-first century. The Hartt School holds unique qualities that continue to distinguish it from other performing arts institutions. These qualities emanated directly from its founders. Through personal and official written communications, school newsletters, speeches, and the exquisite quality of artistic expression, their belief in the value of the arts is continually reinforced, often with great eloquence, sometimes with humor, and always from the heart. This history of The Hartt School highlights the vision and dedication of a school that has enriched the lives of thousands of students and indeed the lives of people who in turn have received the gift of the arts from the school's many illustrious alumni.</P>