John T. Widener Memorial Scholarship

underwritten by Robert I. Coulter - Organbuilder


John Thomas Widener had a 60 plus year career as one of the finest craftsmen in the pipe organ industry. Born in 1920 in Atlanta and educated at Atlanta Tech High School and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Knowing John to be mechanically minded, the organist of Atlanta First Baptist Church asked John to see if he could 'help the poor Pilcher organ'. Ultimately he proved so adept at the work the organist encouraged John to consider a career as an organbuilder. John served an apprenticeship with Chester Raymond of Princeton New Jersey and the Schantz Organ Company, he returned to Atlanta to start a family and new business.

From a beginning of one client no employees, John's excellent work quickly expanded the business into the finest pipe organ firm in the Southeastern United States. Ultimately John and Widener & Company, Inc as the company came to be known were responsible for the installation of many of the regions finest organs. In addition to installing and restoring their own instruments, the firm gained real prominence as being the installers of choice of the Schantz Organ Company for many of their largest pipe organs from Virginia to Texas. Organs such as First Baptist Church Nashville, First Baptist Church Montgomery, Northside Drive Baptist Church Atlanta and literally hundreds of others benefited from John's tireless work ethic and brilliant mechanical mind.

Along with installing new Schantz organs, John and his partner Thomas McCook undertook the enlargement of the pipe organ at Grace United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Ultimately enlarging the instrument from 60 to 101 ranks and making it one of the finest pipe organs in the city. Other restorations and enlargments by John include the Pilcher organ of The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Atlanta, First United Methodist Church Newnan Georgia, the restoration of the mechanical action Pilcher organ of First Presbyterian Church of Griffin Georgia, and literally dozens of other fine pipe organs.

More importantly than John's excellent first hand work with these pipe organs was the wonderful training and education he passed on to the employees who passed through his firm. Many of these individuals went on to open their own successful organ building firms, or to raise to high levels in some of the nations largest pipe organ companies. They include:

Thomas McCook, President: Widener & Company, Inc
James "Bud" Taylor: Taylor Pipe Organ Services
Robert I. Coulter: Robert I. Coulter - Organbuilder
John Pritchard: John Pritchard Organbuilder
Fred Barr: Southeastern Pipe Organ Services
Breck Camp
Steve Leslie: Schantz Organ Company
Paul Bowen: Miller Pipe Organ Company

It was a pleasure and indeed an honor to have known and worked for John in the short time I was able to before his passing. John's influence on me personally is one I will never forget and I know I am a richer indiviual and better organbuilder because of it.

For futher information, or to apply for the John T. Widener Memorial Scholarship, please visit the Atlanta AGO Chapter website here.


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