Who's Who in the History of Cornish (M-Z)

 

Miramova, Elena — Miramova was the adopted daughter of Nellie Cornish, and a graduate in theater in 1925. She emigrated as an orphaned teenager to the United States, having lost her partents in the Russian Revolution. She was fortunate to be found and cared for by Sam Hume, director of the Berkeley Greek Theatre, and his wife. A natural actor and a good ballet dancer, she was attracted by the stage. To help her development, Hume sent her to live with Nellie Cornish in Seattle to help lose her accent at the Cornish School, and she and Nellie were drawn to one another. Miramova went on to a solid career onstage on Broadway and London's West End. She also wrote a play, Dark Eyes, that had a 10-week Broadway run.

Ramhorst, Ella Lemon — the former Ella Lemon came from a line of artisans and draughtsmen. She was an alumna, probably in the late '20s, one of the several girls who lived with Nellie Cornish at her school over the years. Most notably, she was one of the group that included Louise Soelberg and Elena Miramova. Ramhorst remained close to the core group of the Cornish School, was very active in alumni matters, and as a contributor to Nellie Cornish's autobiography. It was Ella Ramhorst took care of Nellie in the last days of her life.

Rapp, Ebba — (1909-1985) an alumna in art from sometime in the late 1920s studying painting, Rapp went on to study sculpture at the UW. She is credited with starting a sculpture department at Cornish sometime in the 1930s. MORE

Rolbein, Frederick — The first husband of Elena Miramova.

Sackett, Martha — Sackett started out as a student of Nellie Cornish, then taught under her, and was the first teacher to join her at the Cornish School of Music in 1914. She worked all her life at the Cornish School.

Soelberg, Louise — the child of Nellie Cornish's best friends, Nellie was there on the day Louise was born—by coincidence on her own birthday of July 9. Louise studied piano with Nellie from the day she could reach the keyboard, and as her family dissolved, lived with her as a daughter till her graduation in piano studies in 1926. Also trained in Eurythmics, Soelberg went on to a successful career in dance with the Ballet Jooss and lifelong as a dance teacher, ending her career at Antioch College.

Tobey, Mark — Tobey showed up on Cornish's doorstep hoping for a job in 1921, a far cry from the giant of modern art he was to become. He soon worked his way onto the faculty. He is credited with founding the Art Department.

Van Volkenburg, Ellen —co-founder of the Cornish Theater Department and founder of the marionette department in 1918, Van Volkenburg would teach and run the department off and on for the next 20 years. Famous from her days with Maurice Browne at the Chicago Little Theatre, she was internationally known as a actress, pupeteer, and producer. Van Volkenburg c0-edited Nellie Cornish's autobiography, Miss Aunt Nellie, in 196-63.

Wells, Boyd — a pianist of some renown, Wells was the first head of music and assistant director of the school under Nellie Cornish, as well as the director of the "piano department."

Wells, Marianne — Marianne Wells is the founder of the Cornish Dance department, which started up in 1916. She was a student under Adolph Bolm of the Ballets Russes, and brought his intensity to her classes. She would go on to develop the talents of Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino.

 

 

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