Introduction

Biography

Earl was the son of Will­iam Craig Harp­er and Lin­na Mae En­yeart, and hus­band of Cla­ra Fern Lieb­er (marr­ied Sep­tem­ber 21, 1916).

He grad­uat­ed from high school in Scotts­bluff, Ne­bras­ka (1912); Ne­bras­ka Wes­ley­an Uni­vers­ity, Lin­coln, Ne­bras­ka (BA, 1918); and Bos­ton Uni­ver­si­ty, Boston, Mas­sa­chu­setts (STB, 1921).

He served a pas­tor­ate at Cen­ten­ary Me­tho­dist Church, Au­burn­dale, Mas­sa­chu­setts (1921–27), and taught church music and worship at the Bos­ton Uni­vers­ity School of Theo­lo­gy (1923–27).

In 1927, he be­came  the se­cond pre­si­dent of Ev­ans­ville Col­lege (now the Uni­vers­ity of Ev­ans­ville), Ev­ans­ville, In­di­ana, stay­ing there nine years. He lat­er taught at Simp­son Col­lege, In­di­an­ola, Io­wa (1932) and went on to serve as Simp­son’s pre­si­dent (1936–38).

In 1938, he be­came direct­or and pro­fess­or of the State Uni­vers­ity of Io­wa School of Fine Arts, and di­rect­or of the Io­wa Me­mor­ial Un­ion.

Harper re­tired in 1963.

Works

• The Ab­ing­don Hym­nal, editor (New York: Ab­ing­don Press, 1928)
• Church Mu­sic and Wor­ship (New York: Ab­ing­don Press, 1930)
• Progress in Church Mu­sic (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: 1930)
• “The Fine Arts and Re­li­gion,” Christ­ian Edu­ca­tion, num­ber 24, Ap­ril 1, 1941, p. 228
• “Moral and Spir­it­ual Val­ues in Mu­sic Edu­ca­tion,” Mu­sic Edu­cat­ors Jour­nal, num­ber 40, June 1, 1954, p. 13