Background
Pryor, William Daniel Lee was born on October 29, 1926 in Lakeland, Florida, United States. Son of Dahl and Lottie Mae (Merchant) P. Bachelor of Arts, Florida Southern College, 1949.
Pryor, William Daniel Lee was born on October 29, 1926 in Lakeland, Florida, United States. Son of Dahl and Lottie Mae (Merchant) P. Bachelor of Arts, Florida Southern College, 1949.
AB, Florida Southern College, 1949. Master of Arts, Florida State University, Tallahassee, 1950. Doctor of Philosophy, Florida State University, Tallahassee, 1959.
Postgraduate, University North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1952—1953. Private art studies with Florence Wilde. Private voice studies with Colin O'More, Anna Kaskas.
Private piano studies with Waldemar Hille and audited piano master classes of Ernst von Dohnányi.
Assistant Professor of English, director drama Bridgewater College, 1950-1952. Visiting instructor English Florida Southern College, MacDill Army Air Base, summer 1951. Graduate teaching fellow humanities Florida State University, 1953-1955, 57-58.
Instructor English, U. Houston, University Park, 1955-1959, assistant professor, 1959-1962, associate professor, 1962-1971, professor, 1971-1997, professor emeritus, 1997.
Professor emeritus, 1997. Associate editor Forum, 1967, editor, 1967-1982.
Visiting instructor English, Texas Southern University, 1961-1963. Visiting instructor humanities, government University Texas Dental Branch, Houston, 1962-1963.
Lecturer The Women"s Institute, Houston, 1967-1972.
Lecturer humanities series Jewish Community Center, 1972-1973. Originator, moderator weekly television and radio program The Arts in Houston on Stations KUHT-television and KUHF-FM, 1956-1957, 58-63.
Board director, founding member Contemporary Music Society, Houston, 1958-1963, Houston Shakespeare Society, 1964-1967. Board directors, founding member, program annotator Houston Chamber Orchestra Society, 1964-1976. Narrator Houston Symphony Orchestra, Houston Summer Symphony Orchestra, Houston Chamber Orchestra (with Charles Rosekrans), University Houston Symphony Orchestra, St. Stephen's Music Festival Symphony Orchestra, New Harmony, Indiana.
Narrator world premier of The Bells (Jerry McCathern), 1969, University Houston Symphony Orchestra, 1969, American premier Symphony Northern Seven, Antartica (Vaughn-Williams), Houston Symphony Orchestra (with Andre Previn), 1967, L'Histoire du Soldat (Stravinski), University Houston Symphony Orchestra, 1957, American premier Babar the Elephant (Poulenc-Francais), Houston Chamber Orchestra (with Charles Rosekrans), 1967, Le Roi David (Honegger), 1979, Voice of God in opera Noye's Fludde (Britten), St. Stephen's Music Festival, New Harmony, Indiana 1981. Board director, program annotator Music Guild, Houston, 1960-1967, vice president, 1963-1967, advisory board, 1967-1970. Member-at-large, board director Houston Grand Opera Guild, 1966-1967.
Repertory committee Houston Grand Opera Association, 1967-1970. Board director Houston Grand Opera, 1970-1975, advisory board 1978-1979. Cultural advisory committee Jewish Community Center, 1960-1966.
Board director Houston Friends Public Library., 1962-1967, 73-75, 1st vice president, 1963-1967. Advisory member cultural affairs committee Houston Chamber of Commerce C., 1972-1975. Advisory board director The Wilhelm Schole, 1980-1998, Buffalo Bayou Support Committee, 1985-1987, board director Moores School Music Society, since 1998, trustee, 2002-2004, advisory board director, since 2004.
Board director University Houston Retiree Association, 1999-2001, vice president, 2000-2001. Founding board director International Dohnányi Research Center, Inc., since 2002. Member Modern Language Association, American Association of University Professors, College English Association, L'Alliance Francaise, English-Speaking Union, Alumni Association Florida Southern College, Florida State University, South Central Modern Language Association, Conference Editors Learned Journals, College Conference Teachers English, National Council Teachers English, American Studies Association, Shepard Society Rice University, Nature Conservancy, National Trust for History Preservation, Institute International Education, Century Club, Florida Southern College, President's Club, James D. Westcott Legacy Society, Florida State University, Texas Retired Teachers Association, Phi Beta (patron), Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Alpha Psi Omega, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Tau Delta (Outstanding Professor English University Houston chapter 1990), 1927 Society University Houston, Houston Philosophical Society, Caledonian Club (London), Tau Kappa Alpha, Phi Kappa Phi.
