Rebecca Walker Steele

Rebecca Walker Steele (October 18, 1925 - January 12, 2019) was an American musician and educator. She was known for her singing and for her choral direction. Steele directed choirs at Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman College.

Rebecca Walker Steele

Biography

Steele was born on October 18, 1925, in Lakeland, Florida.^[1] She showed early musical talent, performing in her grandfather's church at age 4.^[2] Her parents encouraged her in pursuing music and made she had the "best possible training."^[1] She attended the Rochelle High School and earned an associate degree from Florida Memorial College.^[2] Steele graduated with a bachelor's degree from Alabama State University (ASU), where she studied piano under Hazel Harrison.^[1] She earned master's degrees in voice, piano, choral conducting and also in music education from Columbia University.^[1] Steele earned her Ph.D. in 1973 from Florida State University, where she specialized in multicultural music education.^[1][2]

While she was in New York City, she "was in great demand as a singer."^[1] Steele worked as the university choir director at Florida A&M University (FAMU) where she was in charge of one of Tallahassee's first "multiracial choirs."^[3][4] Steel worked at FAMU between 1947 until 1976, when she went on to become a faculty member at Bethune-Cookman College.^[4] Steele retired from Bethune-Cookman in 2013.^[2] As a choir director, her choral groups performed across the United States and were "constantly in demand."^[1]

Steele died on January 12, 2019.^[2]