I Continue to Teach: The Life and Careers of Paula Grossman (1919–2003), a Trans Music Educator
Open Access
- Author:
- Norrid, Austin
- Graduate Program:
- Music Education
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- February 20, 2025
- Committee Members:
- Sarah Watts, Chair of Committee
Christopher Kiver, Outside Field Member
Charles Youmans, Outside Field Member
Linda Thornton, Major Field Member & Dissertation Advisor
C. Libby, Outside Unit Member
Robert Gardner, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies - Keywords:
- Music Education
Trans
Transsexual
Biography
Transgender
Queer Studies
Trans Studies
LGBTQ
LGBT
Trans Rights
Trans Activism
Music
Music Teacher - Abstract:
- Mrs. Paula Miriam Grossman (1919–2003), an elementary school vocal music teacher in a small New Jersey town made international headlines in the summer of 1971 when she announced to her school district that she was transsexual and would be returning to school that fall as a woman. Mrs. Grossman, an educator with thirty-one years’ experience, had taught in the Bernards Township School District for fourteen years as Mr. Paul Monroe Grossman, and was universally praised by the community for her music teaching. Following her transition, however, Mrs. Grossman was fired due to what school administrators claimed was the potential for psychological harm that her transition might have caused for her students. Mrs. Grossman sued to get her job back, and in so doing, became the first known person in U.S. history to sue for anti-trans discrimination. Although she never returned to the classroom, in her own words, Mrs. Grossman “continue[d] to teach, not less, but more,” as an activist, writer, and mentor in the trans community. Music education and queer studies scholars have yet to explore the legacy of Mrs. Grossman’s history as music educator and trans activist. In this dissertation, I provide an account of Mrs. Grossman’s life and careers as a music educator, trans activist, writer, and trans mentor. I conclude with a discussion of themes and implications for practice for educators, music educators, music teacher educators, teachers’ unions, and music education organizations as well as implications for future research.