Carol Jane "Casey" Thurman
Casey Thurman with Edward Eikner
Foreward
When this project began, there were reservations that the idea for a website to honor the life of our cherished friend Casey would even be possible. After all, any attempt to portray the Casey we knew, her accomplishments and her enormous influence on lives she touched would require a host of materials not even thought to exist. Furthermore, where would the story begin and how could her life be shared in a way that all would marvel at the impact of one life?
Fortunately, we have Casey to thank for her tenacity in saving most everything she acquired over her lifetime whether a letter, photograph, article, book, or a simple hand-made gift from a camper. These small artifacts when taken together with her personal writings have served as a testament to her deep spirituality and connection with God’s world of nature. Although they tell the larger story of personal gratitude and humility than could be told here, we are now more fully aware of the extraordinary role music played in her life due to the abundance of newly discovered vocal recordings. Music as a central part of Casey's life led to opportunities for study and vocal performances abroad, extensive voice recitals, and performances in opera and musicals at Wesleyan.
The exhibit begins with her days as a student at Wesleyan and closes with her last visits to her beloved alma mater. Between the bookends of time are chapter-like sections with text to orient the reader to the years between. Each section has examples of photographs and relevant recordings she made on her own. Unfortunately, they were stored unprotected in her attic, under the house or in her music room and with very little information about them. Our good fortune is the fact that many of these were still in good enough condition to digitize thanks to technological advances and experienced talent in restoring the originals.
The artifacts displayed on the following pages were quite like random puzzle pieces in the beginning with few clues as to their relevance or when and where they belonged in time. As more information became available, it became increasingly important to organize materials meaningfully with an eye to accuracy in citing dates and occasions. However, should there be errors in dates or events or persons noted, please make these known to us so we can make corrections.
Many items of this collection have been digitized for this exhibit. For more information please see the Carol Jane "Casey" Thurman Collection finding aid.