©2014-2016 Alida Augen

R. Crawford Stahl

with The Rochester Philharmonic. He also served as President of his fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. While a student at Union-Endicott High School, Mr. Stahl won First Prize in The National Trumpet Championships in both 1935 and 1936 as the first trumpet in a trumpet trio. He was also The New York State Bass Drum Champion in 1936, because he could call up a perfect 110 beats / minute. He was elected President of every one of his school classes from Henry B. Endicott Junior High School through his senior year at Union-Endicott, where he graduated at the top of his class in 1936, was awarded The Math Prize (with a perfect 100 average) and delivered his valedictory address on "The Power of Music", in which he has always believed passionately.

 

As a First Lieutenant in The Army Air Corps, Mr. Stahl served as the pilot of a B-26

Bomber in World War II, flying 65 combat missions over Europe – the first two of those missions on D-Day. Upon completion of his fourth combat mission over Normandy, Mr. Stahl's plane was so badly burned and shot up (no hydraulics, no wheels) that he had his crew bail out as soon as they were back over England, taking the plane in alone to belly-land on a grassy field, thereby saving the lives of his crew and of civilians on the ground. For valor during The Battle of the Bulge, he was awarded The Distinguished Flying Cross "for extraordinary achievement and for his courageous determination to complete the mission in the face of great dangers, reflecting the highest standards of the military service". In addition to The Distinguished Flying Cross, Mr. Stahl was awarded The Air Medal 13 times, The European Theater Medal with 5 Battle Stars, The Presidential Citation for the greatest accuracy in completed combat missions, The Good Conduct Medal, and The World War II Victory Medal. He graduated at the top of his Cadet Training Class, in which he was taught the priorities : "The mission, the men, then me." (Crawford Stahl always was a perfect student. He had spent six weeks in the base hospital with spinal meningitis and still graduated at the top of his cadet class.)

 

Upon his return from military service, Mr. Stahl taught instrumental music in The

Union-Endicott public schools for 35 years, never missing a day of teaching. Under Mr. Stahl's direction, the U-E Band won many first place marching awards in Class A competition. After teaching Concert Band, Marching Band and Orchestra at Union-Endicott High School from 1945 – 1962, he was made Supervisor of Music of The Union-Endicott Central School District, in which role he continued to teach in every school in the district, building the music program, until his retirement in 1980. Mr. Stahl also served as a member of The All-American Judges Association; as Chief Judge of The Empire State Judges Association, judging bands and drum corps; as both President and Treasurer of The Broome County Music Educators Association and as a member of The Board of Directors of The Binghamton Symphony, with which he played first chair trumpet early in his career. He was a member of The First Baptist Church of Endicott for 78 years, donating his time and great talents as its choir director for 23 years. He lent his beautiful bass voice (and his perfect pitch) to The Motet Singers of Binghamton for many years. In honor of his 40 years of dedicated service to music in the public schools (35 years in Union-Endicott, 2 years in the Binghamton schools and the 3 years he was credited for his military service), Mr. Stahl was presented with The Broome County Music Educators Distinguished Service Award. Each year, The Union-Endicott Music Department presents "The Crawford Stahl Invitational Recital" to motivate excellence in instrumental music. In 2006, he was honored at the Union-Endicott school district's "Having Made a Difference" alumni dinner for "his dedicated service in The United States Military, his extraordinary accomplishments in the arts, and for his great contributions to the community through volunteerism and the field of education".While Supervisor of Music for The Union-Endicott Schools, Mr. Stahl would begin each faculty meeting by writing this on the blackboard:


"It is the intention of The Union-Endicott Music Department that each child shall know
music, make music and love music to the extent that child is able."

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R. CRAWFORD STAHL (Alida's father) is the son of Margaret Crawford Stahl and Raymond Shaffer Stahl. He received his B.M. and M.A. degrees from the prestigious Eastman School of Music at The University of Rochester, graduating with top honors and having been awarded the first Rochester Prize Scholarship ever given. While at Eastman, he played first trumpet with The Eastman Wind Ensemble under the direction of Frederick Fennel; played first trumpet with The Eastman Philharmonic under Howard Hansen; and played solo trumpet