Biography of Clarence Sawhill

CHAPTER I – Growing up in Kansas

Clarence Edwin Sawhill was born on November 5, 1906, on a farm in northeastern Kansas, near the town of Holton, in Jackson County. He was the second of three children born to Charles and Cora Sawhill. The Sawhills were farmers working the original homestead purchased by Clarence Sawhill's grandfather.

The Sawhill family was a typical farm family at the turn of the century. They were able to raise all their food or trade for needed items in nearby Holton. Clarence, like other young farm boys, helped his father in the general operation of the farm, including plowing and cultivating the fields with a team of horses and a hand plow. She added that even though Sawhill was not big in stature, he would always attempt any chore needed, even being injured in attempting to unload a large plow by himself. This accident did not deter him, nor did it halt his enthusiasm for work.

Clarence Sawhill began his formal education at a rural school that was about a mile and a half from their farm. The Sunflower School, where Clarence's mother had taught, provided his first experience in education. The young Sawhills would ride horseback to school each day after they had performed their morning chores.

Music was also important in the Sawhill home. Sawhill's father reportedly possessed a fine bass voice and all family members sang in the Presbyterian Church Choir. Two of Sawhill's aunts, Laura Lentz and Bertha Lentz, played the piano and had fine singing voices. Sawhill began formal piano lessons with his aunts who also taught lessons in the Holton area.

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Music was a form of entertainment in the Sawhill household. Many an evening was spent with a performance by the family singers, while one member played the piano. A special time was Christmas when, after opening the presents, all would gather around the piano for the traditional fruitcake and song.

Music became a fascination to Clarence Sawhill, an ingredient that remained throughout his life. Pursuing this dominant interest, formal violin instructions began in the eighth grade at the age of twelve with Jack Davies, a local teacher.

In 1921, Clarence Sawhill entered Holton High School, which was a community high school for students in the Holton and surrounding area. He began the study of the baritone horn and trombone from Roy Underwood, who was instructor of the Holton Community High School Orchestra and also the director of the Holton Community Band. Underwood became quite fond of young Sawhill, and encouraged the young musician to work hard practicing his baritone and trombone.

One of the important influences on Sawhill's life was his involvement with the Holton Community Band. The Sawhill family went every Friday night to the town square where the band would perform a concert. The Holton Community Band was comprised mainly of men who had served in the Sixth Regiment Band, a National Guard Band stationed in Holton. Roy Underwood, who had been an Army Band Director during World War I had been appointed its director in 1920. Every Friday night the Holton Band, garbed in their white uniforms, played concerts in the gazebo on the courthouse lawn.

Dorothy Sawhill Roller states that the Sawhill family would never miss a concert because of her brother's great interest in music. Roller notes "Clarence had his favorite spot under an elm tree, from which he could watch the Holton Band and Roy Underwood." Sawhill relates that "I can still see Underwood standing in front of the band playing the trumpet with his left hand and conducting with his right. These concerts became a central interest of young Sawhill.

After Sawhill began the study of the baritone horn, he was invited to play in the Holton Community Band. It was a great thrill for the young musician to be asked to join the band that he had listened to so often. Christine Underwood, wife of the band director, related her view of Sawhill's association with her husband: “One day as I passed the door to our studio, I was surprised to see a chubby, earnest boy, one knee on the floor, in his attempt to play the cornet. It was Clarence! His lips were not for that, so he changed to baritone. In no time, he was in the town band. After quite awhile, he came to see Roy to say that he had decided to quit band and go out for football. His place was assigned to another hard working student, Carl Jacobs, who later became head of music at New Mexico State University. "He (Sawhill) once told me: I would go up there during rehearsals and listen. What bothered me was that Jacobs was playing every note right."

In 1924, Sawhill's senior year at Holton, Underwood took the well-rehearsed orchestra to an invitational contest at the State Teachers College at Emporia, Kansas. The Holton Orchestra was awarded a first place trophy in that competition.

It is important to note the influence of Roy L. Underwood on the future of Clarence Sawhill. Underwood was a fine musician who left Holton in 1925 to begin an illustrious career culminating with his eventual appointment as Dean of Fine Arts Division at Michigan State University.

Sawhill states "Underwood was the greatest influence for me to study music. He stressed excellence in performance and was demanding in obtaining correct pitch and style.”

Photo: Clarence Sawhill in his Holton Community Band uniform

Sawhill's activities in high school were not limited to music. He was very active in high school dramatics, performing in several plays, including a major role in the senior play. His performance on the football team brought this newspaper quote: "If everyone of the boys on the team had the grit and fighting spirit that Clarence Sawhill has, we would have a better team."

Sawhill also participated in the high school chorus and glee club, as well as the church choir. He possessed, like his father, a fine bass voice and enjoyed performing at any opportunity. He was quoted as saying, "I don't think there was ever a time in my life that I didn't want to study music... I wanted to be a high school band director.” Sawhill's father had encouraged him to go into the lumbering business, but he was not opposed to Clarence's desire for a career in music.

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