August 11, 1872 - Dr. Lowell Mason Dies

Known as the "Father of American Church Music," Dr. Lowell Mason actually began his professional life as a clerk at a bank in Savannah, Georgia. By the time of his passing on August 11, 1872, he had become the president and conductor of the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston. He is credited with many famous hymns such as "Nearer, my God, to Thee" and "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross."