William O. Fuller papers (Ms.Fuller)

Biographical note

William O. Fuller (1828-1910), an organist, pianist and music teacher, was the son of Frederic Fuller, founder of the Fuller Iron Foundry (est. 1837) in Providence, Rhode Island, and the only one of six children to pursue a career in music. After receiving some early lessons in Boston, Fuller traveled with Bostonians William Mason (1829-1908) and William Sherwood to Europe. There between 1848 and 1851 he received his musical education. He studied in Leipzig, Dresden, Frankfurt and Paris with Ignaz Moscheles, Theodore Kullak, Carl Czerny and Carl Mayer, among the most famous and influential pianists of their day.

Returning to Providence in 1851 he became organist at the Central Congregational Church on Benefit Street, a post he held until 1865. He was an active music teacher until at least 1894 and according to his niece Margaret Ames Fuller (the donor of this collection), was also an agent for the Boston piano company Chickering. Fuller married Harriet Ward Goodhue (1831-1856) with whom he had one son, William Ward Fuller, and then Sarah Hale Goodhue (1834-1905) with whom he had one son, Robert Goodhue Fuller. William O. Fuller died April 18, 1910 in Dover, Massachusetts.