A. Grace Lee Mims
Radio host and vocalist A. Grace Lee Mims was born on July 17, 1930 in Snow Hill, Alabama to musicians Arnold W. and Alberta Grace Edwards Lee. Mims graduated valedictorian from Snow Hill Institute, which was founded by her grandfather. She went on to attend and graduate from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, and later received her M.L.S degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
Upon graduation, Mims married Howard A. Mims. She was also hired as a librarian in Detroit, Michigan before moving to Cleveland, where she worked at several branches of the Cleveland Public Library. Mims was employed as head librarian at Glenville High School for ten years, where she coordinated the Black Arts Festival, established the most extensive collection of books on African American history and culture in the State of Ohio, and helped found the first Afrocentric lecture course in the Cleveland Public Schools. In 1976, she created and became hostess and producer of “The Black Arts” on WCLV-FM, Cleveland’s classical music radio station. From 1980 to 2010, Mims produced and hosted WCLV’s “Artslog,” a daily five-minute show of interviews. Also in 1980, she was hired as a voice teacher at the Cleveland Music School Settlement.
Mims has served as soprano soloist at Fairmount Presbyterian Church, as soloist with the William Appling singers, as well as throughout the Cleveland area. She was a member of The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Chorus under Robert Shaw, and performed with The New York Bass Violin Choir. In addition, Mims has recorded two albums: “Spirituals,” a solo record, and “A Spirit Speaks” with her family’s jazz-folk ensemble, The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe.
Mims received numerous honors, including an honorary doctorate of music from Cleveland State University in 1999. In 2007, she was the honoree of the Greater Cleveland Chapter of The National Coalition of the 100 Black Women, Inc., and a recipient the Cleveland Arts Prize Martha Joseph Award in 2011. Mims also served on many arts-related boards, including the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Orchestra's Community Project, the Cleveland Arts Prize Committee, the Western Reserve Historical Society's Black History Archives and The Rainey Institute. Mims and her husband ran the Cleveland Hampton Institute Alumni Scholarship program for over thirty years.
Mims passed away on October 4, 2019.
A. Grace Lee Mims was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on February 14, 2014.
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2/14/2014
Mims
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Case Western Reserve University
Hampton University
Snow Hill Institute
Cleveland State University
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Snow Hill
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Alabama
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Ohio
7/17/1930
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10/4/2019
Radio host and vocalist A. Grace Lee Mims (1930 - 2019) hosted “The Black Arts” and “Artslog” on Cleveland’s WCLV-FM radio for over thirty years. She was an accomplished vocalist and a voice teacher at the Cleveland Music School Settlement since 1980.
Detroit Public Library
Cleveland Public Library
Cleveland Orchestra Chorus
Glenville High School
WCLV-FM
Cleveland Music School Settlement
The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe
U.S. Government
Hampton University
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Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Grace Mims' interview
Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Grace Mims lists her favorites
Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Grace Mims discusses her mother's family background
Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Grace Mims talks about her maternal grandfather's family background
Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Grace Mims attempts to remember the founding date of Snow Hill Normal and Industrial Institute
Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Grace Mims talks about her mother's childhood experiences as a piano prodigy
Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Grace Mims talks about the John Work Coral in Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Grace Mims shares the story of her parents' elopement in the early 1900s
Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Grace Mims briefly describes her father's early work history
Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Grace Mims discusses her father's family background
Tape: 1 Story: 11 - Grace Mims traces her father's career path from Spelman College to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tape: 1 Story: 12 - Grace Mims talks about her parents' love of jazz and classical music
Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Grace Mims talks about how her parents' careers influenced her upbringing
Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Grace Mims talks about her childhood family's band
Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Grace Mims describes her parents' personalities
Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Grace Mims talks about her siblings
Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Grace Mims describes Snow Hill Normal and Industrial Institute and the surrounding neighborhood
Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Grace Mims talks about the origin of her home town's name
Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Grace Mims briefly describes the demographics and business culture of her home town and the surrounding area
Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Grace Mims shares how church and college shaped her musical influences and knowledge
Tape: 2 Story: 9 - Grace Mims describes how music influenced her childhood
Tape: 2 Story: 10 - Grace Mims describes how African Americans have shaped American music
Tape: 2 Story: 11 - Grace Mims compares and contrasts the Negro spiritual and gospel music
Tape: 2 Story: 12 - Grace Mims talks about influential Negro spiritual composers
Tape: 2 Story: 13 - Grace Mims discusses how her teachers and parents influenced her decision to go to college
Tape: 2 Story: 14 - Grace Mims shares how her teacher influenced her to become a librarian
Tape: 2 Story: 15 - Grace Mims recalls rarely traveling outside of her hometown during her childhood
Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Grace Mims shares memories of her grandfather
Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Grace Mims talks about Mary McLeod Bethune and other well-known African Americans who visited Snow Hill Normal and Industrial Institute
Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Grace Mims talks about her grandfather's autobiography
Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Grace Mims describes her academic accomplishments at Snow Hill Normal and Industrial Institute, and the school's influence on the surrounding community
Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Grace Mims describes her extracurricular activities in high school
Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Grace Mims discusses her experiences at Hampton Institute
Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Grace Mims talks about the early years of her marriage and her career
Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Grace Mims describes her experiences at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Music School Settlement
Tape: 3 Story: 9 - Grace Mims describes her work as a librarian and her work on the Eusi SiKuki Festival in Cleveland, Ohio
Tape: 3 Story: 10 - Grace Mims talks about her husband's, Howard Mims' role in the Black Studies Movement and the importance of African American history and culture
Tape: 3 Story: 11 - Grace Mims describes the area surrounding Glenville High School
Tape: 3 Story: 12 - Grace Mims talks about her civic involvement in Cleveland, Ohio
Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Grace Mims talks about performing with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus
Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Grace Mims talks about her family's singing group, The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe, part 1
Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Grace Mims talks about her cousin Donald Stone
Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Grace Mims talks about performing with her family's band, The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe, part 2
Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Grace Mims talks about hosting "The Black Arts" program on Cleveland's WCLV-FM classical music station
Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Grace Mims describes her nephews, filmmakers Spike Lee and Malcom D. Lee
Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Grace Mims briefly discusses her radio show "Arts Log"
Tape: 4 Story: 8 - Grace Mims talks about support of the arts
Tape: 4 Story: 9 - Grace Mims shares her thoughts about contemporary music
Tape: 4 Story: 10 - Grace Mims talks about performing with the William Appling Singers
Tape: 4 Story: 11 - Grace Mims talks about performing as a soprano for the Fairmount Presbyterian Church
Tape: 4 Story: 12 - Grace Mims describes teaching at the Cleveland Music School Settlement
Tape: 4 Story: 13 - Grace Mims discusses her philosophy about teaching and music
Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Grace Mims reflects upon her career and her legacy
Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Grace Mims describes her hopes and concerns for the African American community
Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Grace Mims reflects upon her lack of desire to write a book about black music
Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Grace Mims talks about individuals who share her musical philosophy
Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Grace Mims describes her influence on the future of classically-trained musical artists
Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Grace Mims discusses the life and legacy of her late husband Howard A. Mims
Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Grace Mims shares how she wants to be remembered
Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Grace Mims describes her photographs
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