William Ennis Thomson

Thomson has served the faculties of SUNY Buffalo (1975–80) (Chair of Music and Albert Ziegle Professor); University of Arizona (Director of Graduate Studies) (1972–75); Case Western Reserve University (Fynette Hill Kulas Professor) (1969–72); Indiana University School of Music (1961–69) (Professor of Music Theory; Chair Music Theory Department); University of Hawaii Scholar in Residence (1967–68); Sul Ross State University (1951–60), and Ford Foundation composer in residence (1960–61).

He chaired the ETS Advanced Placement in Music Test Committee (1975–79); served as music panel member and examiner for the National Endowment for the Arts (1971–75, while Nancy Hanks was chairman); fellow and policy committee member of the Ford Foundation; served as a key participant in the Contemporary Music Project (1963–75); Board member of the Buffalo Philharmonic (1976–80); taught and composed works for wind band, orchestra, chorus (accompanied and a cappella); and various chamber music media. Thomson also served in the Armed Forces: U.S. Navy (1945–46).

Thomson was born in Fort Worth. He earned two degrees from the University of North Texas: Bachelor of Music (composition), 1948, and a Master of Music (composition) 1949. He also earned a PhD in Music Theory and Philosophy in 1952 from Indiana University, Bloomington. While at North Texas, Thomson was a member of the inaugural Laboratory Dance Band (1946–47) – the forerunner of the One O'Clock Lab Band – during the launch year of the first college degree in jazz offered in the world. At North Texas, he crossed paths with:

William Ennis Thomson (aka Billy, while growing up) was born 1927 in Fort Worth to the marriage of William Tell Thomson (a builder) and Ruby F. Thomson (née Schwarz; a homemaker). He had two siblings: Jack C. Thomson (born 1912) and Aline Thomson (born 1918). William Ennis Thomson married Elizabeth Anne Everett on September 11, 1948; together, they had four children: Carol Anne, Mark William, Laurie Elizabeth, and John Everett. His wife Elizabeth died on July 16, 2011. Thomson died in Ventura, California, on May 17, 2019, and was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery.

Thomson served as a Seaman (S2c; Service No. 358 74 10) in the U.S. Navy from 1945 to 1946. He was a musician in a Navy Band at Camp Elliott, California. Then he joined the Navy Band (as jazz trumpet soloist) aboard the USS Lexington (CV-16) as it sailed from San Diego to Pearl Harbor. While at Camp Elliott, Thomson did freelance arranging for Gus Arnheim, who, in the 1940s, owned a nightclub in downtown San Diego where he kept a small band going. Thomson was not permitted to enter the club during performances (he was too young); but he listened to the band playing his arrangements over the radio. Arnheim paid Thomson $15 for each arrangement.

William Ennis Thomson (May 24, 1927 – May 17, 2019) was an American music educator at the collegiate level, music theorist, composer, former Music School Dean and professor at the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California from 1980 to 1992. His overarching interest in research centered around the cognitive and perceptual foundation of music, insight for which is found in his 2006 article, "Pitch Frames as Melodic Archetypes", Empirical Musicology Review, 1.2, 1–18.

Thomson attended Polytechnic High School, where he was involved in the band. Thomson became proficient at playing jazz solos on French horn with the Poly High School band. His high school band director was Perry Alton Sandifer (1910–2009), a trombonist, saxophonist, and clarinetist who, outside of school, performed in dance orchestras – one led by him bearing his name. Thomson graduated from Polytechnic High School in 1943.