Herbert Gladstone, a professor emeritus at Reed College who founded the college’s music department, died May 11, 2011, at the age of 95.
Gladstone earned a bachelor’s degree from Colgate in 1937. In 1942, he received an M.F.A. in music from Princeton, where he studied with Roger Sessions and Milton Babbitt *92. Reed College hired him in 1946 to begin its music department, and he was a professor of music there from 1946 to 1980.
In addition to developing a strong music curriculum at Reed, Gladstone made many contributions to the music community in Portland, Ore. These included serving on the boards of the Portland Junior Symphony and Portland Friends of Chamber Music, directing Gilbert and Sullivan operas in summer, conducting annual Christmas concerts at the college, and serving on the Oregon Centennial Arts Commission in 1959, which led to the creation of the New Savoy Opera Co.
Gladstone was known for his passion for music and his excellence in teaching not only music, but also tennis and swimming at Reed in the summer.
He was predeceased by his wife, Helene, in 2003. He is survived by two sons, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.
Graduate Class of 1942