GEHRING, ALBERT (21 Mar. 1870-25 Feb. 1926) was an author and teacher equally at home in the fields of philosophy and music. A Cleveland native, he received bachelor's and master's degrees from Harvard c. 1894 and lectured in philosophy at the College for Women (see CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIV.) in 1900-02. From 1902-04 he was a member of the Cleveland school board (see CLEVELAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS), serving as president for the final year. Among his published books were Racial Contrasts: Distinguishing Traits of the Graeco-Latins and Teutons (1908), The Basis of Musical Pleasure (1910), Mozart (1911), The Appreciation of Music (1913), and The Religion of Thirty Great Thinkers (1925). His marionette play The Soul of Chopin was performed at the CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE in 1918. Gehring also composed numerous musical pieces for voice and piano. His song "In Mai" was sung in PUBLIC AUDITORIUM by Metropolitan Opera baritone Lawrence Tibbett in 1927, during the last of the 5 SAENGERFESTS hosted in Cleveland. Married to the former Irma Mueller on 10 Feb. 1989, he was survived by her and 3 children: Waldo E., Hermine B., and Mrs. Charles H. Reed.
Flory, Julia McCune. The Cleveland Play House: How It Began (1965).