Rutgers University Alumni
Home to a large and diverse faculty and student body, Rutgers University has seen its share of hardworking and talented composers, vocalists, and instrumentalists. This section focuses on the musical abilities and achievements of Ozzie Nelson, Paul Robeson, and Joyce Kilmer.
Joyce Kilmer, undated.
Alfred Joyce Kilmer was a literary critic, editor, and poet who served as a sergeant in World War I. He is best known for his poem “Trees” which was first published in the August 1913 issue of Poetry: A Magazine of Verse.
Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey to Frederick Barnett Kilmer, inventor of Johnson and Johnson’s baby powder, and Annie Kilburn-Kilmer, writer and musical composer, Kilmer attended Rutgers College from 1904 to 1906. At Rutgers, he was the associate editor of the Targum and a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. He transferred to Columbia University in the fall of 1906 because he was unable to complete the university’s rigorous mathematics requirement and did not want to repeat his sophomore year.
Kilmer enlisted in the New York National Guard in 1917. After his death in the Second Battle of Marne in July 1918, many of his poems were set to music. “Trees” was composed by Oscar Rasbach and often sung by fellow alumni Paul Robeson in the 1930s. Kilmer’s mother composed “Lullaby for a Baby Fairy,” “Gifts of Shee,” and her own version of “Trees.”
"Trees" Sheet Music, 1922.
Paul Robeson-Rutgers College Cap and Skull Portrait, 1919.
Paul Robeson held many professions including football player, lawyer, humanitarian, activist, actor, and singer. One of his most popular performances was his portrayal of stevedore Joe in the 1932 Broadway production of Show Boat. The song “Ol’ Man River” was written specifically for Robeson by Jerome Kern. Robeson attended Rutgers University from 1915 to 1919 and was the third African-American student enrolled at the college. He came to Rutgers on an academic scholarship and played numerous sports including football and track. Additionally, he was a member of the debate team, Cap and Skull, Phi Beta Kappa, and delivered a 1919 commencement address entitled "The New Idealism." Like Ozzie Nelson, Robeson earned money singing off campus. On occasion, Robeson sang at social events including fraternity songfests and university dances and with the Rutgers University Glee Club.
Paul Robeson Performance Flyer, October 2, 1942.
Ozzie Nelson, undated.
Ozzie Nelson was a musician, bandleader, and American entertainer who co-starred on television’s The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Despite his many successes, Ozzie’s music career got off to a rocky start at Rutgers College.
Ozzie attended Rutgers College from 1923 to 1927. During his freshman year, Ozzie auditioned for the Rutgers Musical Clubs, which were directed by Professor Howard D. McKinney. He did not make the cut and did not try out again. Rather, he played a variety of sports, was a member of Cap and Skull, and earned money singing and playing the banjo at dances and amateur nights. After Ozzie graduated from Rutgers College, he pursued a law degree from Rutgers-Newark. During this time he earned money by leading a small dance orchestra — a career path Ozzie ultimately chose to follow.
In 1931, Ozzie and the Ozzie Nelson Band headlined at Loew’s State Theater in New York City. One evening, before the band’s first performance, a Rutgers representative asked Ozzie if he would perform at the Waldorf Astoria with the Rutgers Musical Clubs later that night. Ozzie agreed and cheekily sang his unsuccessful Musical Clubs audition piece. He then recounted his audition to much laughter and applause. Out of everyone in the audience that night, Professor McKinney laughed and applauded the loudest.