The Robert P. Fountain Papers document his career as a singing teacher and director of choral music, and to a lesser degree his early life. The bulk of his papers consist of thirteen scrapbooks, most of which his son, Robert H. Fountain, assembled. According to Bob, “the scrapbooks are full of how my father’s talents, drive, and personality affected those who studied with him, performed under his direction, attended performances, or knew him as a human being.” Included here, too, are two scrapbooks of Robert P. Fountain’s parents, one for Robert H. Fountain, and one for Bessie Pratt Fountain Hoffman. They document their musical lives and careers in important ways. The researcher should note that since the original order of the scrapbooks was preserved, the records series arrangement was largely predetermined.

The record corpus documents a man who shared with others his passion for music. The letters of appreciation from students and admirers, the tributes and awards, and the respect from colleagues and friends demonstrate the impact that Fountain had on the musical profession. He inspired his students to continue to study music and, in some cases, to teach music to future generations.

Although the scrapbooks and published articles provide an overview of the career of Robert P. Fountain, they do not contain a significant amount of material documenting his professional contacts or his method of teaching. There is also very little information available about his personal life. The performance related material such as programs, posters, flyers and reviews provide evidence of his progress to the top of his field. There are also phonograph recordings of his performances and many miscellaneous photographs of him and the choirs that he directed.

The Robert P. Fountain Papers are divided into five series: I. Biographical Files, II. Miscellaneous Papers, III. Printed Matter, IV. Scrapbooks, and V. Non-Textual Materials.

I. Biographical Files, c. 1942-1996 (8 folders)

The biographical files contain two short undated biographical sketches of Robert P. Fountain, his curriculum vitae, and several obituaries. Also included are articles written about Robert P. Fountain or his performances. The material is separated by type and then arranged chronologically. Additional biographical information can be found in the scrapbook series. For more information see each scrapbook’s title as it is listed on the Inventory.

II. Miscellaneous Papers, 1943-1946, 1963, n.d. (5 folders)

The miscellaneous papers are comprised of Robert P. Fountain’s musical arrangements, and notes from voice lessons and an Oberlin College Senior Assembly speech given by Professor Fountain in 1963. Also included are two musical notebooks of unknown authorship.

III. Printed Matter, 1938-1992 (7 folders)

The printed material is organized by type of performance (singing or conducting) and then ordered chronologically. Each folder may contain posters and programs of performances. Similar materials can also be found in the scrapbook series. For more information see each scrapbook’s title as it is listed on the Inventory.

IV. Scrapbooks, 1900-1996 (15 intact scrapbooks, 3 folders)

Most of these scrapbooks (13) document a specific period of time in the career of Robert P. Fountain. Each scrapbook has a title as noted in the Inventory. They contain programs, flyers or small posters from performances and photographs as well as letters of appreciation from admirers and thank you notes from former students. Many are handwritten and undated. There are some official letters received by Robert P. Fountain from churches or other organizations in appreciation of his work. Also included are two scrapbooks containing materials relating to his parents.

V. Non Textual Materials, 1951, 1964, 1970, 1974-1975, 1996, n.d. (11 folders, 18 CDs, 3 medals, 38 recordings)

The non-textual materials are organized into four subsets, including: the Weston Noble Award (1996) and three medals (n.d.), 16 compact discs (CD), phonograph recordings (1950-1970s, n.d.), and miscellaneous photographs. Seventeen of the 18 CDs contain digital images of the scrapbooks and other printed matter created by Robert H. Fountain. The one audio CD is of a 1978 Requiem Mass directed by Robert P. Fountain. The bulk of the 38 phonograph recordings are of Oberlin College Choir performances with Fountain as conductor. There are two of Robert Fountain singing and one of his mother as an accompanist. The photographs are of Robert P. Fountain, his choirs, friends and family, including choral performances in the Washington Cathedral and abroad. They are organized by date and subject into nine folders, with two folders devoted to containing photographs from an album that was removed from a three-ring binder.

For related materials the researcher is advised to consult the records of the Music Conservatory (RG10). Some Oberlin College publications also contain information by and about Robert P. Fountain.

“ Under the Elms.” Oberlin Alumni Magazine, 52:8 (1954), p. 9 (Photograph on cover).

Princehorn, A. E. “College Choir Tours USSR.” Oberlin Alumni Magazine, 60:3 (1964), pp.10-11.

Crapsey, Robin L. “Choir Tours West Coast.” Oberlin Alumni Magazine, 61:3 (1965), pp.24-25

“ Under the Elms.” Oberlin Alumni Magazine, 61:4 (1965), pp. 11-15

Fountain, Robert P. “Centennial, A Time To Evaluate.” Oberlin Alumni Magazine, 63:3 (1967), p. 4.

Schaefer, Karen. “Oberlin Remembers Robert Fountain.” Oberlin Conservatory News, 9:1 (1996),pp.1-3.

Mezger, William. “Fountain Remembered.” Oberlin Alumni Magazine, 93:2 (1997), p.48.

Additionally, many recordings of Robert P. Fountain’s performances are available from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music Library. The University of Wisconsin-Madison also has information available at http://music.library.wisc.edu/fountain/fountain_biography.htm