Audrey Robinson was the first African American teacher at Thornhill Elementary School in Oakland, Ca.
Thornhill School 1966-1967
Early Years
Audrey Lucinda Robinson was the daughter of Charles Nelson and Maude Gibson. She was born in 1915 in Oakland. She attended Peralta School and graduated from Claremont in 1930 and University High in 1933. The family lived at 6148 Colby Street.
Oakland Tribune 1928
She was a member of the Colored YWCA at 8th and Linden in West Oakland. She was a member of a club that included Lionel Wilson, the former Mayor of Oakland.
Audrey married Frederick D. Robinson, a Washington, D.C. police officer in 1941, shortly before he was deployed to fight in World War II. In 1944 Robinson died during combat in Italy.
Oakland Tribune April 1942
Thornhill Elementary School
She was the first African American teacher at Thornhill School in the Montclair District of Oakland. She taught kindergarten for 10 years from 1966-1976. She said that she never experienced any form of racism from the children, staff, or parents. She said about one African American child would join her class every year. She loved her time at Thornhill and love the children. She was loved by the children.
Retirement
Audrey was dedicated to preserving the history of African Americans in the City of Oakland, and she volunteered with the African American Museum and Library of Oakland (AAMLO). She also became very active at the Oakland Museum, serving as Docent Chairman for the History Department. She also served as Vice President of Administration for the Cameron-Stanford House Preservation Association.
Audrey passed away in June of 2008 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Audrey was predeceased by her husband, a WW II fatality, and her son. She is survived by her daughter, Jeri, her grandson Frederick and two great-grandsons.
A special edition of my blog in honor of Black History Month and a wonderful man.
Calvin Simmons Conductor
I was lucky enough to know Clavin Simmons personally. He was the conductor of the Oakland Symphony when I worked there.
Let me back up a little bit. My mom Sarah Chambers started working at the Oakland Symphony in 1977 when I was still in high school. She began as the receptionist and worked her way up the ladder to the Director of Education.
SF Examiner January 28, 1985
She would sign me up during the summer to hand out flyers at lunchtime events. One of our board members would do the same with her daughter Libby Schaff was the Mayor of Oakland from 2015-2023.
I was hired in 1980 as the receptionist and worked my way up the ladder to Box Office/Marketing Assistant. We both worked for the Symphony until September 1986, when they filed for bankruptcy.
Before the Oakland Symphony
Calvin was born in San Francisco in 1950 to Henry Calvin and Mattie Pearl Simmons.
Music was a part of his life from the beginning. He learned how to play the piano from his Mother.
Balboa High School Yearbook 1968Balboa High School Yearbook 1968
Calvin attended Balboa High School in San Francisco, where he was a member of the orchestra.
“did tons of conducting with school orchestra.”
Madi Bacon
SF Examiner September 19, 1969
The Maestro Kid
He was the assistant conductor with the San Francisco Operafrom 1972 to 1975, winning the Kurt Herbert Adler Award.
He remained active at the San Francisco Opera for all his adult life, supporting General Director Kurt Herbert Adler, first as a repetiteur and then as a member of the conducting staff. He made his formal debut conducting Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème with Ileana Cotrubas. His later work on a production of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District drew national attention.
In 1979 he conducted the premiere of Menotti’s La Loca in San Diego.
He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera, conducting Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, returning the following year. He was on the musical staff at Glyndebourne from 1974 to 1978.
Oakland Symphony
with Harold Lawrence, manager Oakland Symphony circa 1978
Simmons became musical director of the Oakland Symphony Orchestra at the age of 28 in 1978. He was one of the early African-American conductors of a major orchestra.
His debut audition was in early 1978.
SF Examiner April 16, 1978
SF Examiner April 23, 1978
A Maestro Wordless – September 1978
SF Examiner September 26, 1978
Windsor Star January 22, 1982
Calvin joined the Youth Orchestra tour in July 1982
Calvin July 1982 Oakland Symphony Picnic – Photo by Bill Londagin
On Sunday, August 22, 1982, I was next door helping my husband, who was repairing our neighbor’s roof. All of a sudden, my mom screams out the window that Calvin has died. Such a sad day. It took another week to find his body. It was such a loss to Oakland and the music world. He was on his way to greatness.
SF Examiner August 23, 1982
Calvin was visiting friends in Upper State New York. Connery Pond was where he went a lot to unwind and regroup. While waiting for dinner, Calvin took a canoe ride out in the pond. He was by himself about 150 feet from the shore; he was a good swimmer. A woman was taking pictures of the sunset from the beach. She pointed her camera towards Calvin, and he must have noticed that, and being the ham he was, he stood up to pose. He then fell into the water.
SF Examiner August 23, 1982
Philadelphia Daily News August 24, 1982
A Final Tribute
There was a memorial service on September 07, 1982, at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco; more than 2200 people attended.
There was a memorial concert on September 20, 1982, at the Paramount Theatre.
