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James Russell Calvin Pinn (aka James Robert Calvin Pinn; 1899—1978) was a concert pianist, U.S. Army chaplain, and Baptist minister.

Career

James Russell Calvin Pinn (1899–1978), who had been a concert pianist ^[1]

1. Taught music at the Martin-Smith School of Music in Manhattan at Harlem where he taught taught piano, organ, voice, and harmony
2. Taught music at the Washington Conservatory of Music where he taught taught piano, organ, voice, and harmony.
3. He went on to become a Baptist pastor

Around December 1962, Pinn start practicing piano again, after a 30-year hiatus, and re-debuted October 20, 1963, at Bethesda Baptist Church. In the spring of 1964, he performed on piano at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1965, Pinn toured Europe and Asia as a concert pianist. ^[2]

U.S. Armed Forces

Pinn was commissioned as a Chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserves in 1931. He was ordered to active duty as 1st Lt. in 1936 and assigned duty at Yorktown, Virginia, with the Civillian Conservation Corps. for six months. In 1939, Pinn, as District Chaplain, was assigned to the 428th Infantry Regiment. ^[3]

Pinn was assigned to the 41st Engineer General Service Regiment, which was activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The regiment was the designated parent unit of 358th Engineer regiment and was composed of African Americans. ^[4] During World War II, a chorus with band from the 41st became known as the "Singing Engineers" and performed on radio under Pinn's direction. ^[5]

Throughout World War II, Pinn, still with the 41st, was stationed at Ft. Bragg. During the War, Pinn was the oldest African American chaplain serving in the U.S. Army. ^{[6] [7] [8]} During a tour in Liberia, Pinn was in service with the Liberian government and preached in the First Baptist Church of Liberia, Monrovia.

Musicians: These nine musicians, and formerly members of leading African American dance orchestras, are now members of the 41st Engineers Regiment, Fort Bragg, N.C., and play with the Regiment dance orchestra. In 1941, the musicians were:

1. Pfc. Louis W. Carrington (né Louis William Carrington; 1909–1988) ( double bass), Richmond, Virginia
2. Sgt. Rufus Wagner (né Rufus Hoyot Wagner; 1918–1963) (trombone), Atlantic City, formerly with Blanche Calloway's orchestra

1. Pvt. Elmon L. Simon (born 1918) (trumpet), Norfolk, Virginia, formerly with Tiny Bradshaw
2. Pvt. Teddy Wood (trombone), Richmond, Virginia, formerly with the Roseland Ballroom orchestra of New York City

1. Cpl. Milton Sylvester Bell, Sr. (1923–1981) (vibes), Richmond, Virginia, formerly with Roy F. Johnson's (né Roy Forester Johnson; 1899–1968) Happy Pals, a territory band from Richmond, Virginia
2. Sgt. Wilburn Pogue (né Willbourne Jenkins Pogue; 1912–1963) (trumpet), Washington, D.C., formerly with Duke Ellington and Ethel Waters
3. Sgt. Frank Wess (trumpet), formerly with Blanche Calloway

1. Charles L. Anderson (alto sax) of Virginia, formerly with Don Albert
2. Pfc. George Wolfe (clarinet), Atlantic City, formerly with Ethel Waters

Education

1. 1917: Dunbar High School, Washington, D.C.
2. Bachelor of Arts (1924) Howard University, magna cum laud. Pinn studied music with Roy Wilford Tibbs (1880–1944), music educator, notably organist, pianist, and Glee Club director at Howard from 1912 until his death. From 1918 to about 1931, Tibbs was married to his onetime student, Lillian Evanti, who became an opera star.
3. Bachelor of Divinity (1931) Howard University School of Divinity. His father, James Luther Pinn was on the faculty.
4. LLB (doctor of law) from Howard University School of Law
5. LLB (doctor of law) from the Blackstone School of Law, Chicago ^[a]
6. Doctor of Theology from Western Theological Seminary

Also

1. Studied at the U.S. Army Chaplains School at Harvard
2. Studied at the American Foundation of Religion and Psychiatry, New York
3. Studied music at Syracuse University College of Fine Arts
4. Studied music at the Conservatory of Music at Howard
5. In 1964, Pinn resumed studying music at Chicago Musical College with Rudolph Ganz
6. Studied piano with Roy Wilford Tibbs (1880–1944), music educator – notably organist, pianist, and Glee Club director at Howard University from 1912 until his death. From 1918 to about 1931, Tibbs was married to his onetime student, Lillian Evanti, who became an opera star.

Pastorships

• 1927–1931: Shiloh Baptist Church, Newport, Rhode Island
• 1932–1936: Clark Memorial Baptist Church, Homestead, Pennsylvania
• 1936–1940: First Congregational Church of Birmingham, Alabama
• Late 1940s: Shiloh Baptist Church, Chicago
• 1953–1954: Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Albuquerque
• 1954–1968: Bethesda Baptist Church, Marshall, Texas
• 1968–19??: Willow Springs Baptist Church, Longview, Texas
• 1975–19??: Jesus the True Vine Baptist Church, at Allen and Pemberton Streets, Marshall, Texas
• First Baptist Church, Warrenton, Virginia

The Bethesda Baptist Church building in Marshall, Texas, was destroyed by fire December 31, 1953. It was rebuilt under the pastorship of Rev. Pinn. A year after Pinn's death, a Texas Historical Marker was on the property that reads:

In 1867 the Rev. William Massey organized the "Colored Baptist Church" in his home. Soon the name "Bethesda" was chosen for the biblical pool where the sick and troubled went for healing. Members of this congregation included prominent business, educational, and political leaders. They helped organize Bishop College in 1881. The first frame church house was razed in 1932 and a brick building was erected under the Rev. W. H. Dudley. After a fire destroyed the structure in 1953, this building was constructed during the pastorate of the Rev. James R. C. Pinn.

Affiliated posts

• 1932: Baptist Young People's Union Auxiliary (aka Youth Department) to the New England Baptist Missionary Convention, established 1874. Pinn succeeded Rev. Colbert Pye (1884–1957) as President in 1932. Pye succeeded Pinn in 1933.
• Veterans Employment Representative, U.S. Employment Service, Chicago
• Contract Representative and Advisor of Negro Affairs, Veterans Administration, Chicago

Honors

• Honorary Doctor of Divinity, Natchez College, Natchez, Mississippi
• 1967: Given a Certificate of Recognition from the International Library of Music Service
• 1969: Certificate of Service and Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, London Institute of Applied Research
• 1971: One of 2,000 Outstanding Persons in the World of 1971, Melrose Press, Ltd., London
• 1962: Awarded study tour in Israel, given to 55 nationally prominent pastors and university professors by the Inter-University Committee on Israel, New York City, a division of the American-Israel Society (AIS), a division of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. The AIS was a non-political group established in 1954 to promote closer cultural relationships between people of the United States and Israel. The study tour was in cooperation with Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The tour was lead by Judah Nadich, rabbi of the Park Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan.
• Lecturer: Israeli-American Culture Society

Family

Pinn was born to James Luther Pinn, A.B., D.B., D.D., and Celia Virginia Gaskins. ^[9] His wife, Eleanor F. Pinn had been a teacher at Dunbar School in Marshall, Texas. His uncle, Peter Calvin Pinn (1880–1940) was a 1899 graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and a 1903 graduate of Harvard College (bachelor of arts in literature). ^[10] From 1926 until his death, Peter Pinn had been a personal messenger in the office of the Assistant Secretary of War. James R.C. Pinn's father, James Luther Pinn (1877–1958), was a native of Washington, D.C., and for 20 years was Chaplain of the District of Columbia Jail during which he had walked with 34 men to the electric chair. ^[11]

James R.C. Pinn's relatives:

• Step-grandfather, Rev. Elias Quincy Plummer (1846–) ^[12]
• Great-aunt-in-law, Marie Bernadette (Reeny) Lucas, M.D. (née Thomas; 1874–1935), graduated from Howard University Medical School in 1914 and was a pediatric physician for 20 years at Freedman's Hospital in Washington. ^[13] Her husband, James' great-uncle, Moses Grant Lucas (1871–1941), for 51 years served, in public schools – 25 years as principal of the Blanche K. Bruce School at 770 Kenyon Street, NW, in the Park View neighborhood of Washington, D.C. He had also been principal at the James Wormley School. Their son, M. Grant Lucas, Jr., M.D. (1900–1964), a graduate of M Street High School, also graduated from Dartmouth College in 1921 and, later, from Howard University Medical School.

Notes and references

Notes

References