John Laurence Seymour Collection

John Lawrence Seymour was born on January 18, 1893 in Los Angeles to Herbert Whaley and Rose Anne LaPointe Seymour. He received a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1917, an M.A. in Slavic Languages in 1919 and a Ph.D. in English in 1940, from the same university. His doctoral thesis was entitled "Drama and Libretto". From 1917 to 1919 Seymour taught in the English Department at the University of California at Berkeley. He was on the faculty of Hollywood High School from 1919 to 1926. While on the faculty of Sacramento Junior college from 1926 to 1950; he was the director of the Department of Dramatic Arts. During this time, he was also on the lecture circuit, presenting guest lectures about Shakespeare for the University of California at Berkeley and Sacramento Junior College and traveling as an "Operalogist" and Dramatic Reader.

Seymour wrote and produced at least twenty operatic works, beginning in 1916. His opera "In the Pasha's Garden" was performed during the 1934-35 season at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. His opera "Ramona" premiered at Brigham Young University in Utah in 1971. He also wrote and had published several vocal scores and instrumental pieces. Seymour is listed in several encyclopedias of music; including Grove's Dictionary of Music; The American Society of Composers; Authors and Publishers. Biographical Dictionary, and the International Who's Who in Music. Seymour also published translations of Russian literature in English, as well as some original dramatic pieces. Seymour was active until the time of his death with travel, composing; and philanthropic works.

He kept office hours in his library/study on the campus of Southern Utah State College where he had housed his collection of books; opera scores; artifacts and Victorian furniture since 1969. During his last year, his travels took him to places around the globe including South America, Egypt and New York City. An active member of Utah Partners of the Americas; a philanthropic group; Seymour helped oversee the establishment of schools and hospitals in South America until his death. At age 93, on February 1, 1986, he died in a San Francisco hospital during a visit to that city.