Church, Paxson & Co.

Church, Paxson & Company (aka Church-Paxson Co.) was a New York City-based music publishing company founded in 1909 by Clarence Clinton Merrick Church and Clement Esmond Paxson. In 1919, the company reorganized as C.C. Church & Co. and moved its headquarters to Hartford, where, in 1922, it incorporated. C.C. Church & Co. maintained its New York office at 1367 Broadway.

Company history In 1910, the incorporators were (i) Clarence Clement Merrick Church of Nutley, New Jersey, (ii) William Thomas Pierson of New York City, and (iii) Robert Forsyth Little (1874–1923) of New York City. Although Clement Esmond Paxson was a namesake of Church, Paxson & Co. and was listed as a member of its board in 1910, New York City directories (1909–1919) do not list him among the company's officers. The 1910 directory identifies Clarence C. Church as president from 1910 through 1917, William C. Polla (William Conrad Polla) as secretary, and William T. Pierson as treasurer in 1910.

Clarence Clement Merrick Church Church earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1907 from George Washington University. Before that – since graduating from Eastern High School, in Washington, D.C. – he played flute in local orchestras and chamber groups, including the Rebew Orchestra (of Washington), an amateur orchestra founded and conducted by Henry William Weber (1861–1927). The ensemble – which ran from 1899 until 1942 – bears Weber's name, spelled backwards.

Clement Esmond Paxson Paxson's principal career was in electrical engineering. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1902 with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering. On March 23, 1905, he married a painter, Ethel Gould Easton, in Meriden, Connecticut, at St. Paul's Universalist Church. At the time of his marriage, he was Chief Engineer for the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company (C&P Telephone) of Washington, D.C. From about 1910 to about 1916, his wife, Ethel Paxson, composed and wrote lyrics to music published by Church, Paxson and Company, under the pseudonym, Lettie Gould. In 1916, Paxson was in Rio de Janeiro on assignment as Chief Engineer with Stone & Webster to install lines there. Ethel accompanied Clement Paxson in Rio; and, while there, painted the countryside and seashore. She has been chronicled as one of the first American impressionist artists to paint there.

William Thomas Pierson Will Pierson became Assistant Engineer at C&P Telephone of Washington, D.C. In November 1907, Pierson became founding president of the Columbia Music Publishing Company, Inc., an enterprise organized by a group of Washington musicians and composers in response to the limited local publication of works by Washington composers. The Washington Post reported that "very few" compositions by Washington composers had been published in the city and described the new publishing firm as a cooperative music-publishing company intended to operate along the lines of the country's larger publishing houses. At its organization, the company already held numerous manuscripts – popular and classical – for prospective publication. Pierson was elected president – William Armstrong Boyd (1878–1939), vice president and treasurer, and Odell Long Whipple, Sr. (1869–1940), secretary.

Pierson, a pianist and composer, was not principally a professional musician. A 1903 graduate of George Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering, he worked as an assistant engineer for the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company of Washington, D.C., where Clement Esmond Paxson was chief engineer. Nevertheless, Pierson composed music and became founding president of the Columbia Music Publishing Company in 1907. His later association with Church, Paxson & Co. extended this publishing activity. His compositions published earlier by Columbia Music subsequently appeared under the Church, Paxson & Co. imprint. Among them was "Love Me Lots and Love Me All the Time," with music by Pierson and words by William A. Boyd, his fellow Columbia Music Publishing Company officer, copyrighted by Church, Paxson & Co. in 1909.

Pierson – in 1909 in Washington, D.C. – served as best man in Clarence Clinton Church and Bertha Amory Lane's wedding.

Dissolution The 1918 Polk Co-Partnership Directory for New York City listed Church, Paxson & Co. as dissolved.

Selected publications Title Year Composer Lyricist Cover illustration "Salute the Flag," march and two-step 1902 William Thomas Pierson, Jr. (1879–1936) (solo piano)Edward Henry Pfeiffer "," caprice (pp. 36–41) 1904 William Thomas Pierson (solo piano) Edward Henry Pfeiffer "" 1904 William Thomas Pierson (solo piano) Artist unidentified "," valse intermezzo 1905 C. Paul (solo piano) "" 1907 W.C. Powell () (solo piano) John Frew "" 1909 William Thomas Pierson Will A. Boyd "" (pp. 64–69) 1909 Al Piantadosi Jeffrey T. Branen (1872–1927) William Austin Starmer, featuring roses and ornamental framing, photo center inset of Florence Bindley in theatrical costume "" (pp. 45–50) 1910 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) Clarence Patrick McDonald Jenkins "" 1910 James A. MacElwee James A. MacElwee Edward Henry Pfeiffer "" (pp. 84–89) 1910 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) (solo piano) Clara Miller Burd – C.C. Church & Co. ed. "Little Soldier March" 1910 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) (solo piano) (1880–1960) – 1930 Belwin ed. "," novelette ("The piece that contains the world's greatest melody") 1910 Jerome Heller (solo piano) "" 1910 Jerome Heller Lettie Gould (pseudonym of Ethel Paxson; 1885–1982) "," a reverie 1910 Jerome Heller (solo piano) William Austin Starmer "" 1910 Julian Jordan Julian Jordan "Rose Petals," reverie (tone poem) 1910 William Thomas Pierson (solo piano) "" 1910 William Thomas Pierson Robert G[arland] Irby (1884–1930), of New Orleans Jenkins "" 1910 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) (solo piano) Edward Henry Pfeiffer "" 1910 Harold J. NormanJ. Irving Young (Joe Young) Edward Henry Pfeiffer "" 1910 Minerva W. Fields Joe Young (J. Irving Young) Edward Henry Pfeiffer "Dreams of You" 1911 Robert Harold May Robert Harold May "Emogene" 1911 William Thomas Pierson Jessie I. Pierson , oriental intermezzo patrol 1911 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) (solo piano) Edward Henry Pfeiffer "," reverie (pp. 3–8) 1911 Lettie Gould (solo piano) Guy de Bouthillier-Chavigny (né Claude Marie Dominique Joseph Guy de Bouthillier-Chavigny; 1893–1962) "" (pp. 9–16) 1911 Lettie Gould (solo piano) B&W portrait photo of a woman on cover "Give My Love to Mother" 1911Anna MullenLettie Gould Edward Henry Pfeiffer "" 1911 Jerome Heller (solo piano) John Frew "The Rosary," poem, in A 1911 Jerome Heller Robert Cameron Rogers "My Little Girlie Girl" 1911 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) Lettie Gould "A La Bien Aimee (Love Waltz)," Op. 59 no. 2 1911 Édouard Schütt (solo piano; arr. by J[acob] Frank Leve; 1864–1959) "," caprice 1911 Benjamin Richmond (solo piano) "Autalia," sérénade 1911 Cécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade (1857–1944) (solo piano) "" 1911 Friederich Werner (solo piano) "" 1911 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) Martin [Edward] Swauger (1887–1965) "" 1911 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) Martin [Edward] Swauger (1887–1965) Edward Henry Pfeiffer "," from The Tales of Hoffmann 1912 Jacques Offenbach William Conrad (William Conrad Polla), arr. "" (pp. 85–90) 1912 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) Martin [Edward] Swauger (1887–1965) Edward Henry Pfeiffer "Berceuse," words by Alexander Hamilton, Jr. 1912 Anonymous "Passing Birds" (Oiseaux passants), tarantelle for pianoforte 1912 Ernest Lent (1856–1922) "Happy Hearts," morceau élégant (elegant composition) 1912 Ernest Lent (solo piano, "To Miss Dolores Burns") "Scherzino" 1912 Ernest Lent (solo piano) "The Robin's Departure" 1912 Leander Fisher Revised and arranged by W. Conrad (William Conrad Polla) "True Blue Sue" 1912 Thurland Chattaway Thurland Chattaway John Frew "The Greyhound (Lusitania March)" 1912 John Parker (solo piano) Edward Henry Pfeiffer The Three Graces, Op. 1 "Faith," no. 1 "Hope," no. 2 "Charity," no. 3 1912 William Conrad Polla Salon Pieces, Op. 2 "Valse Caprice" no. 1 "Air de Ballet," no. 2 1912 William Conrad Polla "," reverie (pp. 76–81) 1912 (solo piano) Walter Menige Dunk (1855–1929)(there's at least 1 other ed. with different artwork) "" 1912 Jerome Heller Lettie Gould "" 1912 Jerome Heller (solo piano) Edward Henry Pfeiffer "Summer Dreams Waltz" 1912 William Thomas Pierson (solo piano) "" 1912 Jerome Heller Harry D. Kerr "Mazurka de Concert" 1912 Arthur Lange Op. 15: Songs From the Greek (2 of 6 published with Church, Paxson) "," no. 2". From Rufinus (fl. c. 3rd or 4th century AD), translated in 1894 by Andrew Lang (1844–1912) "," no. 5." From Ode 19, "Reasons for Drinking," by Anacreon (c. 573 – c. 495 BC), translated 1830 by Thomas Bourne (1806–1881) 1912 Eleanor Everest Freer Op. 17, "," no. 1 1912 Eleanor Everest Freer Richard Le Gallienne (1866–1947) Op. 18 "," no. 3 (low voice). Thomas Moore (1779–1852) "," no. 4 (low voice). Robert Browning (1812–1889) 1912 Eleanor Everest Freer Op. 24, "," no. 1 1912 Eleanor Everest Freer William Gerard Chapman (1877–1945) Op. 25, "," no. 3 1912 Eleanor Everest Freer Thomas Randolph (1605–1635) "" 1912William Schiller (solo piano) Edward Henry Pfeiffer Kerr–Polla Songs (Poems), Op. 4 "I Looked Into Thine Eyes," no. 1 "Slumber in Thy Little Nest," no. 2 "When You Are Near," no. 3 "Could I But Read Your Heart," no. 4 "The Shepherd's Call," no. 5 "Love's Secret," no. 6 "Shadows of Evening," no. 7 1912 William Conrad Polla (1876–1939) Harry D. Kerr Holiday Series: "," no. 1 "Hallowe'en Revels," no. 2 "New Year's Greeting," no. 3 "Chimes on Christmas Morning," no. 4 "St. Patrick's Day Pranks," no. 5 "Easter Thoughts," no. 6 "Children's Day," no. 7 1912 William Conrad (William Conrad Polla) "," Op. 111 1912 Louis Albert Drumheller (1854–1936) (solo piano) Edward Henry Pfeiffer "Offenbach (Jacques)," from Tales of Hoffman 1912 William Conrad (William Conrad Polla) "Iris," redowa three-step 1912 Mabel R. Kaufman Mabel R. Kaufman "" 1912 William Conrad (William Conrad Polla) (solo piano) Mammy Songs "Kitty Cat" "Busted Dolly" "" 1913 Josephine Merwin Cook Josephine Merwin Cook "Laughing Eyes" 1913 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) Edward Henry Pfeiffer "Kiss Me Pretty" 1913 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) "Reflections," meditation 1913 Jerome Heller "Twinkling Stars" 1913 Jerome Heller (solo piano) C.C. Church ed: Cover image: © by The Knapp Co. Inc., New York "" 1913 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) (solo piano) Edward Henry Pfeiffer "" 1913 W.C. Williams (William Conrad Polla) (solo piano) John Frew "I Love Thee" 1913 Horace Kirkus Dugdale Donald M. McLeran "," song, from the 7th piece (of 8) of Dvořák's Humoresque, Op. 101 1914 Jerome Heller Lettie Gould "Would You Take a Chance With Me" 1914 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) William Denight Cobb (1876–1930) Edward Henry Pfeiffer "", Il ballo mascherato [The Masked Ball] 1914 Martha Unger (1889–1951) (solo piano) Edward Henry Pfeiffer Moving Picture Operetta, Op. 12 "Ol' Mammy Coon," southern dialect song. no. 2 1914 J[ohn] Lawrence Erb (1877–1950) Pauline Frances Camp (née Pauline Frances Bishop; 1863–1939) , A Moving Picture Operetta Dedicated to the Pianists of the Movies and the Public That Plays the Piano Which This Music Will Interest "March–opening–chaser", two-step "Waltz, Ballroom Scene" "Hurry–Struggle" "Processional March" "Love Scene" "Western Music", cowboy music, intermezzo, two-step "Chinese" "Japanese" "Wedding" "Chimes" "Sad Scene" "Funeral March" "Convent Garden, Religious Scene" "Mysterioso, Creeps" "Minuet, Colonial Scenes "Indian Music" "Water Scene, Sailing Scene" "Desert Scene, Waltz" "Hurry", "Villain", "Fire" "Tango" 1914 W.C. Powell (William Conrad Polla) (solo piano) America Germany France Austria