William Ennis Thomson

William Ennis Thomson (May 24, 1927 – May 17, 2019) was an American music educator at the collegiate level, music theorist, composer, former Music School Dean and professor at the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California from 1980 to 1992. His interest in research centered around the cognitive and perceptual foundation of music, insight for which is found in his 2006 article, “Pitch Frames as Melodic Archetypes”, Empirical Musicology Review, 1.2, 1–18. Thomson had served the faculties of SUNY Buffalo (1975–80) (Chair of Music and Albert Ziegle Professor); University of Arizona (Director of Graduate Studies) (1972–75); Case Western Reserve University (Fynette Hill Kulas Professor) (1969–72); Indiana University School of Music (1961–69) (Professor of Music Theory; Chair Music Theory Department); University of Hawaii Scholar in Residence (1967–68); Sul Ross State University (1951–60), and Ford Foundation composer in residence (1960–61). He chaired the ETS Advanced Placement in Music Test Committee (1975–79); served as music panel member and examiner for the National Endowment for the Arts (1971–75, while Nancy Hanks was chairman); fellow and policy committee member