Militzer, Theodore
Title
Militzer , Theodore
Description
Theodore Militzer , grandson of a minister and son of a teacher , lived nearly his entire life in Arlington Heights. He was a piano teacher , a professor of harmony and composition , a civic minded negotiator , a painter of portraits of the old music masters and the scenery of Glacier National Park. He gave piano lessons to three generations of young people in Arlington Heights and fought for the formation of High School District 214. In addition to being the "Farther of Arlington High School " he left his mark on the formation of the Chicago Symphony by starting an orchestra for Chicago youth. Born April 8 , 1876 , he moved to 302 West Euclid Avenue in 1902 , a home he designed for his bride Caroline. His grandparents were Rev. Johannes Edmund Roeder , a pastor of St. Peter Lutheran Church for 31 years , and Dorothea (nee Auch). Roeder came to America on a business trip and decided to stay. Theodore's father was Frederick Militzer who headed St. Peter Lutheran School for 51 years. Theodore became a music teacher and served for five years as president of the Illinois Music Teachers association. He held a professorship in music at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and had his own studio in the Fine Arts building in Arlington Heights. When asked about the degrees he had in his chosen field his comment was, "I have issued degrees to hundreds , but I have never had a degree conferred on me. " He also served on local school boards : District 25 for 6 years and after it was established , District 214 for 18 years. In 1914 while on the District 25 board , the fast growing number of high school students needed their own school district. Trying to set up a board and sell bonds as World War I was on the horizon disrupted plans. Twice Arlington Heights went to the State Supreme Court before actually getting the district set up in 1922. Mr. Militzer retired the last time from school board duty in 1944. Theodore Militzer passed away November 17 , 1960 , less than three months after his move to his daughter's home in Tulsa. Caroline preceded him in death in 1945. He left two sons , Carl of Houston , Texas , and Dr. Walter Militzer of Lincoln , Nebraska , and a daughter , Esther Malbeauf of Tulsa. Five grandchildren survived as did a sister , Mrs. Laura Meyer of Arlington Heights. This item is part of the collection of the Arlington Heights Historical Society (http://www.ahmuseum.org).
Subject
Families
Keywords
Musician ; painter ; civic leader
Proper Names
Militzer, Theodore Militzer, Caroline Militzer, Carl Militzer, Walter Militzer, Esther Malbeauf, Esther Militzer Meyer, Laura Militzer Militzer, Laura Roeder, J. E. Auch, Dorothea Militzer, Frederick
Organization
High School District 214 Arlington Heights School District 25 St. Peter Lutheran Church St. Peter Lutheran School Illinois Music Teachers Association American Conservatory of Music Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Participant
Arlington Heights Memorial Library with materials owned by the Arlington Heights Historical Society
Date
1956-04-12
Type
Photograph
Format
Paper
City
Arlington Heights
State
Illinois
Country
United States
Decade
1950-1959
Copyright
Notice: This material may be protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S. Code). May not be reproduced without permission from the Arlington Heights Historical Society.
AcquisitionData
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), 100 DPI, 8-bit color (256 colors)
DateCataloged
2010-04-14
PlaceKept
Located at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum, AHHS Collection, Arlington Heights Historical Society Archives.
Language
English
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