Edmund Simon Lorenz Papers

Edmund Simon Lorenz (1854-1942) was born in North Lawrence, Ohio on July 13, 1854 and died on July 10, 1942 in Dayton Ohio and was buried in Woodland Cemetery. He was the eldest son of Reverend Edward and Barbara (Gueth) Lorenz. The Lorenz family emigrated from Germany to the United States of America. Edmund Lorenz graduated from Otterbein University (A.M.) in Westerville, Ohio. Lorenz also attended Union Biblical Seminary, Yale Theological Seminary (LL.D.), and the University of Leipzig (D.Mus.). He served as pastor of the High Street United Brethren Church in Dayton, Ohio (1884-1886) After that Lorenz became president of Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania, in October, 1887. With his excellent executive abilities, he began to formulate and put into effect larger plans for the internal work and permanent support of the college. Failing health compelled his retirement in 1889.

Edmund Lorenz was music editor, composer and hymns written mainly for the United Brethren Church in Christ. He published his first book in 1875. Since then he has edited fifty books which include Sunday school song books, gospel song books, hymnals, anthem books, books for male voices and for primary classes, services and cantatas, sheet music and even organ music. His compositions are wholly of a religious character. In 1894, he founded the Choir Leader, in 1897 the Choir Herald, monthly periodicals devoted to choir music, and now recognized as being the leading publications of their class in the world. The Kirchenchor, a German choir monthly, also edited by him, was founded in 1897. Lorenz was an active member of the Y.M.C.A. His works include: Gates of Praise, with Isaiah Baltzell (Dayton, Ohio: United Brethren Publishing House, by W. J. Shuey, 1884); Notes of Victory, with William Ogden (Dayton, Ohio: United Brethren Publishing Company, 1885); Garnered Sheaves of Song for the Sunday School, with Isaiah Baltzell (Dayton, Ohio: W. J. Shuey, 1888); Songs of the Morning, with Isaiah Baltzell (Dayton, Ohio: W. J. Shuey, 1889); The Otterbein Hymnal (Dayton, Ohio: United Brethren Publishing House, 1892); Practical Church Music (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1909); The Beginners’ Choir, with Ira Wilson (Dayton, Ohio: Lorenz Publishing Company, 1911); Church Music: What a Minister Should Know About It (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1923); Music in Work and Worship (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1925); The Singing Church, 1937. His publishing company (Lorenz Publishing Co in Dayton, Ohio) become one of America's largest and most influential publishers of church music. His daughter, Justina, married Bishop John Balmer Showers.