1847–1903

Introduction

Born: De­cem­ber 28, 1847, New­ark, New Jer­sey.

Died: Sep­tem­ber 28, 1903, New­ark, New Jer­sey.

Buried: Mount Plea­sant Ce­me­te­ry, New­ark, New Jer­sey.

portrait

Biography

Ward was the son of Sam­uel Cut­ler Ward, and ne­phew of Ju­lia Ward Howe.

He stu­died mu­sic un­der Jan Py­chow­ski and oth­ers in New York Ci­ty, and found­ed a mu­sic store in New­ark, New Jer­sey.

He be­came or­gan­ist at Grace Epis­co­pal Church, New­ark, in 1880, suc­ceed­ing Hen­ry Cut­ler; a brass plaque in his me­mo­ry was placed on the par­ish house there in 1934.

Ward al­so found­ed New­ark’s Orp­he­us Club in 1889.

In the se­cu­lar world, he is best re­mem­bered for his tune Ma­te­rna, used for the an­them Am­er­ica the Beau­ti­ful.

Sources

Lyrics

Music