Dr. Walter McIver founded the Lycoming College Choir when Lycoming College became a four-year institution in 1947. Over the next thirty years, Dr. McIver developed a choir that included many non-music majors yet remained dedicated to musical excellence. Dr. McIver retired in 1976, but remained "Dad" to his former students through his death in 2003.
Walter McIver was so effective that he could enable almost any interested
person to sing. A common statement around campus was "he could make even
a telephone pole sing."
He was also an artful choir director.
Burtt E. Sweet, '50
I really enjoyed Walter McIver as my Voice Teacher. My training in voice is
paying off now. I just loved choir...
Nancy L. Norris Branyan, '55
How very sad I was to receive word of Walter McIver's recent death. Although
I had not been in touch with him for many years, it just was good to know he
was still among us in the world.
Although I was only actually in the choir for a year, the
memories are lifelong. It was such a privilege to sing for Mr. McIver. It was
like he was playing an instrument, and the instrument was us. His and Beulah's
kindness and hospitality to the students was legendary, and I read somewhere
that he could teach a telephone pole to sing
– I think that's true, because he taught me to sing,
and I had a lot of learning to do!
The world is diminished now that he is gone from it.
Ellie (Beers) Amico '69
Dr. Walter McIver in 1955. The 1955 scrapbook was dedicated to Walt and his wife, Beulah.
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