Dungill Family Papers

Biographical Note

The Dungill Family Papers document the history of the musical accomplishments of the Dungill family. The family resided in Chicago’s historic Morgan Park community, where they developed a unique family orchestra. The Dungill Family Orchestra consisted of nine family members: the parents, Doyle and Evette Dungill, and the children: Alexander, Elaine, Melody, Gerald, Charles, Gloria, and Harriette. As professionally trained musicians, Doyle and Evette decided early in their marriage to develop a musical family. As a result of this dream, all seven of their children were trained in music by the age of three. Every member of the group was trained in the areas of voice and instrumental music. They played the trombone, coronet, marimba, trumpet, drums, bass tuba, piano and saxophone. The Dungills also mastered a variety of forms of music, including choral, classical, and popular music and developed a rich repertoire of vocal solos, instrumentals, duets, trios, quartets, and sextets in English, Italian, Russian, Hawaiian, Spanish, German, and several African languages.

As early as 1932, the Dungill family began performing at churches, schools and for community organizations throughout the Chicago area, under the name “Dante and His Shadows.” A popular draw to their concerts was the performance by youngest brother Charles, or “cookie” as he was called, who would often “steal the show by making his drums talk in unique rhythms.” One of the group’s major early accomplishments was their performance at the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago, where they won the prestigious Rosenwald Prize in 1934.

In 1942, Mr. Dungill began to expand his musical outreach to the children of the new Ida B. Wells Housing Project by teaching his own original musical play, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Later, the directors of Ida B. Wells asked Mr. Dungill to demonstrate the “Dungill Method of Music,” which was a faster method of teaching music to children and adults.

By the late 1940s, the family began to perform under the name “Dungill Family Orchestra,” and became active members of Local 208 of the Musicians’ Protective Union. This exposure led to a national tour, and the Dungill Family Orchestra began performing throughout the segregated South, the East and West coasts. During this time, the group also recorded “Africa Through Music” and “Africa Calling,” performances which celebrated the indigenous music of Africa.

Donated by Elaine and Gloria Dungill in 2000, the Dungill Family Papers contain four carefully constructed scrapbooks, rare photographs, manuscripts and audio- visual materials, including newspaper clippings, advertisements and flyers, souvenir programs, and promotional literature documenting the Dungill Family performances from the 1930s through the 1960s. The correspondence file includes letters from President Harry S. Truman, and musical legend W.C. Handy. The collection also contains approximately 20 promotional photographs of the group, taken between 1934 and 1960.