ESTHER M.
WRIGHT, LINFIELD CLASS OF 1925, WROTE LINFIELD ALMA MATER MUSIC, LYRICS
(Also known as Esther Margaret Wright and Esther Margaret Erickson.)
Born 1901 in Madison, South Dakota.
Died 1942 in North Bend, Washington.
== Oregonian June 18, 1921: Esther Margaret Wright graduated from Lincoln High School, Portland, Oregon
== When she wrote the Linfield College Alma Mater music and lyrics not known. McMinnville College became Linfield College in January 1922, during the 1921-1922 academic year. That was her freshman year at the college. Perhaps it happened soon after the college name change?
==Sunday Oregonian, July 22, 1924, story includes info about Miss Esther Margaret Wright offering two vocal numbers at an event. “Miss Wright is a senior in the Linfield college of music, and is regarded as one of the most promising students, artistically, of that institution. Her voice is fresh and clear, and she has never failed to make a profound impression.”
==Sunday Oregonian, March 8, 1925, reports on Esther Margaret Wright of Portland giving her senior vocal recital at the music hall of Linfield. “Miss Wright is active in student activities, being a member of the women’s glee club and the college octet, also a member of the Kappa Alpha Phi sorority. She will receive a bachelor of music degree with the graduating class in June, having been a vocal student of Anna Lavinia Beebe, instructor of voice, during the past four years.”
==Sunday Oregonian, March 29, 1925, photo of Linfield Octet with cutline showing Esther Wright, an alto singer, in the octet. Cutline says the octet made of tour of eastern and western Washington with stops in Yakima, Kennewick, Sunnyside, Puyallup and Olympia.
==Sunday Oregonian, June 17, 1928, wedding story includes that the Rev. Harris David Erickson’s hometown is Mount Vernon, Wash. The wedding was held in First Baptist church, presumably in Portland. After August 1, the Rev. and Mrs. Erickson will be at home at Sunnyvale, California, where Rev. Erickson is pastor of the Baptist church.
==Oregonian, Aug. 5, 1931, said Esther lives in Los Angeles where her husband is pastor of the Atherton Baptist church.
==Seattle Times, May 21, 1942, includes obituary headlined, “Mrs. Erickson’s Funeral Will Be Tomorrow.” Funeral services for Mrs. Ether Wright Erickson, wife of the Rev. Harris Davis Erickson, professor of philosophy at Seattle Pacific College, will be held at 3 o’clock tomorrow in Queen Anne Baptist Church. She died in North Bend Sunday. Since coming to Seattle five years ago, Mrs. Erickson has been an active member of the University Baptist Church, the Philomel Singers, Seattle Pacific College Faculty Wives Club, the Seattle and the college’s Red Cross chapter. She also was a member of Mu Phi Epsilon, honorary music society. She composed many sacred solos for contralto voice, her chorus “Heritage” being presented by the Philomel Singers at their 1941 winter concert. She also wrote the Alma Mater song for Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon. Before her marriage, she was music supervisor for public schools in Heppner, Oregon. She lived at 3210 Fourth Ave. W. Surviving besides her husband are twin sons, Claiborne Reed Erickson and James Wright Erickson, 13 years old; a brother, C. C. Wright, Burlingame, Calif., and her father, D. C. Wright, Portland, Or., who for 21 years was executive secretary of Oregon Baptist State Convention.
==Eugene (Oregon) Guard, May 24, 1942, headline “Mrs. Esther Wright Erickson Dies.” Text: Mrs. Harris Erickson (Esther Wright) of Seattle, daughter of Dr. O.C. Wright, former pastor of the Eugene Baptist church died Sunday, May 17, at North Bend, Wash., while assisting her husband, Rev. Harris Erickson, with church services. She died from a heart attack. Mrs. Erickson was born in Madison, S. D., lived in Eugene as a child, graduated from Linfield College in 1925 and the University of Oregon in 1926 with the B.A. degree in music. She was supervisor of music in the Heppner schools for two and a half years and married Mr. Erickson in 1928. Besides her husband she leaves twin sons James Wright Erickson and Claiborne Reed Erickson, age 13. Services were held May 22 in Seattle from Queen Anne Baptist church with the president of Seattle Pacific College in charge, Mr. Erickson being a teacher at that institution.
==Info elsewhere: Esther Margaret Wright was born October 9 1901, in Madison, Lake County, South Dakota. She died May 17, 1942 in North Bend, Wash. Thus, she was 40 years old. She and Harris David Erickson, also a member of Linfield Class of 1925, married in 1928. He died at age 93 in 1996.
:::
We’ll
be loyal to old Linfield
With her backing never yield
For her we’ll fight will all our might
Alma Mater, we’re loyal to you!
For her we’ll fight will all our might
Alma Mater, we’re loyal to you!
(Also known as Esther Margaret Wright and Esther Margaret Erickson.)
Born 1901 in Madison, South Dakota.
Died 1942 in North Bend, Washington.
== Oregonian June 18, 1921: Esther Margaret Wright graduated from Lincoln High School, Portland, Oregon
== When she wrote the Linfield College Alma Mater music and lyrics not known. McMinnville College became Linfield College in January 1922, during the 1921-1922 academic year. That was her freshman year at the college. Perhaps it happened soon after the college name change?
==Sunday Oregonian, July 22, 1924, story includes info about Miss Esther Margaret Wright offering two vocal numbers at an event. “Miss Wright is a senior in the Linfield college of music, and is regarded as one of the most promising students, artistically, of that institution. Her voice is fresh and clear, and she has never failed to make a profound impression.”
==Sunday Oregonian, March 8, 1925, reports on Esther Margaret Wright of Portland giving her senior vocal recital at the music hall of Linfield. “Miss Wright is active in student activities, being a member of the women’s glee club and the college octet, also a member of the Kappa Alpha Phi sorority. She will receive a bachelor of music degree with the graduating class in June, having been a vocal student of Anna Lavinia Beebe, instructor of voice, during the past four years.”
==Sunday Oregonian, March 29, 1925, photo of Linfield Octet with cutline showing Esther Wright, an alto singer, in the octet. Cutline says the octet made of tour of eastern and western Washington with stops in Yakima, Kennewick, Sunnyside, Puyallup and Olympia.
==Sunday Oregonian, June 17, 1928, wedding story includes that the Rev. Harris David Erickson’s hometown is Mount Vernon, Wash. The wedding was held in First Baptist church, presumably in Portland. After August 1, the Rev. and Mrs. Erickson will be at home at Sunnyvale, California, where Rev. Erickson is pastor of the Baptist church.
==Oregonian, Aug. 5, 1931, said Esther lives in Los Angeles where her husband is pastor of the Atherton Baptist church.
==Seattle Times, May 21, 1942, includes obituary headlined, “Mrs. Erickson’s Funeral Will Be Tomorrow.” Funeral services for Mrs. Ether Wright Erickson, wife of the Rev. Harris Davis Erickson, professor of philosophy at Seattle Pacific College, will be held at 3 o’clock tomorrow in Queen Anne Baptist Church. She died in North Bend Sunday. Since coming to Seattle five years ago, Mrs. Erickson has been an active member of the University Baptist Church, the Philomel Singers, Seattle Pacific College Faculty Wives Club, the Seattle and the college’s Red Cross chapter. She also was a member of Mu Phi Epsilon, honorary music society. She composed many sacred solos for contralto voice, her chorus “Heritage” being presented by the Philomel Singers at their 1941 winter concert. She also wrote the Alma Mater song for Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon. Before her marriage, she was music supervisor for public schools in Heppner, Oregon. She lived at 3210 Fourth Ave. W. Surviving besides her husband are twin sons, Claiborne Reed Erickson and James Wright Erickson, 13 years old; a brother, C. C. Wright, Burlingame, Calif., and her father, D. C. Wright, Portland, Or., who for 21 years was executive secretary of Oregon Baptist State Convention.
==Eugene (Oregon) Guard, May 24, 1942, headline “Mrs. Esther Wright Erickson Dies.” Text: Mrs. Harris Erickson (Esther Wright) of Seattle, daughter of Dr. O.C. Wright, former pastor of the Eugene Baptist church died Sunday, May 17, at North Bend, Wash., while assisting her husband, Rev. Harris Erickson, with church services. She died from a heart attack. Mrs. Erickson was born in Madison, S. D., lived in Eugene as a child, graduated from Linfield College in 1925 and the University of Oregon in 1926 with the B.A. degree in music. She was supervisor of music in the Heppner schools for two and a half years and married Mr. Erickson in 1928. Besides her husband she leaves twin sons James Wright Erickson and Claiborne Reed Erickson, age 13. Services were held May 22 in Seattle from Queen Anne Baptist church with the president of Seattle Pacific College in charge, Mr. Erickson being a teacher at that institution.
==Info elsewhere: Esther Margaret Wright was born October 9 1901, in Madison, Lake County, South Dakota. She died May 17, 1942 in North Bend, Wash. Thus, she was 40 years old. She and Harris David Erickson, also a member of Linfield Class of 1925, married in 1928. He died at age 93 in 1996.
:::
Linfield's Alma Mater "We’ll Be Loyal"
With her backing never yield
Each
day will bring some vict’ry
One
more honor for her shield.
The Old
Oak gives us courage
Keeps
us steadfast in our wayFor her we’ll fight will all our might
Alma Mater, we’re loyal to you!
You may
search all Linfield’s hist’ry
For one
more of disloyalty
Each
student upholds her spirit
With
her loyal faculty
Linfield’s
friendships are the truest
They’ll
back you in each testFor her we’ll fight will all our might
Alma Mater, we’re loyal to you!
………………….
Based on
an Aug. 24, 2018, posting at Wildcatville:
Linfield
Alma Mater lyrics include “The Old Oak gives us courage…”
The Old
Oak fell on Jan. 8, 2008. A newspaper story at the time said the Old Oak, an
80-foot tall white oak, “stood majestic when Linfield was founded 150 years
ago.” It was estimated to be 200-250 years old when disease caused its death.
Debbie Harmon
Ferry of Linfield College said the Linfield Alma Mater “still references the
Old Oak, but we now tend to use ‘the old oaks give us courage’ – referring to
the oaks in the Oak Grove, not the Old Oak itself.”
