Earliest Doctorates in Music
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Evangel’s music faculty was among the first in the Assemblies of God to complete doctorates in the discipline of music. John Shows, who joined the faculty in 1966 and chaired the department from 1981-2007, writes about “exciting times [1967-68] when Joe Nicholson, Jesse Peterson, and Don Ellingson started the roll for [Assemblies of God] music professors to earn doctorates.” Forty years later, in 2007 (after many doctorates earned by Assemblies of God musicians, including a number of Evangel graduates) a doctoral dissertation was published on the life and writings of Dr. Nicholson entitled “Joseph Milford Nicholson b.1935): Pioneer Trombone Historian.” (1) Since 1967, the percentage of doctorates on the Evangel music faculty has been significant. Currently (2008), out of 10 full-time faculty members there are six doctorates.(2) In addition, there is one part-time music faculty member with a doctorate, an Evangel music graduate.(3)