When Raymond and I met last week for our interview, I had forgotten to do my cursory research to at least find a picture of him so I wouldn’t be pathetically eyeing everyone in the coffee shop. Fortunately, he did do his research and was eyeing me, so the field quickly narrowed. I shouldn’t have worried. It’s hard to miss Raymond. From his sartorial excellence to his eminent grace and inviting smile, I figured if he wasn’t the president of Cornish College of the Arts, he should be.
Then I got to know the man better, digging through a thick layer of humility to uncover not only a remarkably accomplished but genuinely passionate and, dare I say, happy person. One who’s succeeded to a dream post by working hard at what he loves most: music and teaching.
Raymond was born in Washington D.C, the third of nine children in the blended family of his father, a Baptist preacher, and mother, the congregation’s pianist and choir director. Their strong influence created a self-proclaimed “preacher of the arts.” He grew up on Gospel but later switch to Classical and became the first in his family to attend college as he pursued degrees in Music and Piano at Howard University. Having married young and with two children, he didn’t graduate until age 29, but he graduated Magna cum Laude and never looked back. He went on to earn a master’s and a Ph.D. at Washington University in St. Louis in music, voice, and conducting.
He then began his teaching career, starting at Buffalo State University, where he became the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. He then served as the Director of the School of Music at the University of Northern Iowa, the Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Ohio University, and the Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Utah, distinguishing himself as perhaps the only African American to live in all of the four-letter states. While he enjoyed living in all these places, particularly Iowa, it was in 1989 on an interview at the University of Washington that he first fell in love with Seattle. He didn’t get that job but neither did he give up. He applied for his current job first in 2011 and then again in 2018, at last becoming the tenth president of Cornish College of the Arts.
During his first year, Cornish became the first independent private accredited arts college to successfully launch a tuition reset to increase access for students of middle- and low-income families. It also reduced the loan debt for a quality education in the arts. And his goal is to leverage Cornish’s hundred-year tradition of experimentation and innovation to a sustainable institution for the next 100 years, adapting to the more discerning and self-directed students of the 21st century, maintaining the edge that allows it to survive and even thrive in the shadow of the University of Washington.
And as if Raymond’s academic accomplishments aren’t impressive enough, he is also a critically acclaimed performer and is known internationally for his magnificent voice and outstanding musicianship. He has performed as a featured soloist with renowned orchestras, in numerous operas including a tenor solo in a European performance of Handel’s Messiah, as a guest soloist in choirs throughout the world, and internationally as a guest conductor. The credits are far too numerous to list.
Now single, Raymond lives in Shoreline and is enjoying all that Seattle has to offer. He’s getting into cycling, slowly, loves the Opera, and continues to learn French as he plans to return to Paris soon. He’s also enjoying his seven-year-old grandson who lives back in D.C.
Finally, I’d like to note that this is Raymond’s third Rotary Club. He was a Rotarian in Ohio and Utah and is looking forward to continuing his service in our club. Thanks to proposers Nick Anderson and Suzanne Griffin for this wonderful addition to our club.
