Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

VPA Remembers Professor Emeritus William ‘Will’ O. Headlee

Friday, December 18, 2020, By Erica Blust
Share
College of Visual and Performing ArtsHendricks ChapelSetnor School of Music

William “Will” O. Headlee, professor emeritus of organ in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (VPA) Rose, Jules R. and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music and Syracuse University organist emeritus, passed away on Nov. 9, in Syracuse. He was 90.

Headlee came to Syracuse University to study with noted organist Arthur Poister and earned a master of music degree in 1953, following undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with Jan Philip Schinhan. He retired from the University in May 1992 after 36 years of teaching, academic service and continuous choir directing activity, including six seasons with the Hendricks Chapel Choir.

Professor Emeritus Will HeadleeHeadlee was active in the American Guild of Organists (AGO) and the Organ Historical Society, performing at many conventions. He served as organist at Park Central Presbyterian Church in Syracuse from 1992 until his passing.

“Headlee was a lifelong mentor and friend to me and many other organ students,” says Jim Potts ’74, who serves as organist and choirmaster at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Syracuse. “His influence on me as an organist and a church musician was unsurmountable.”

In 2010, Headlee helped celebrate the 60th anniversary of the University’s Holtkamp Organ in Setnor Auditorium in Crouse College with a performance of pieces that he particularly connected to the organ, including Seth Bingham’s Rhythmic Trumpet (No. 4 from Baroques, 1944), which was recorded and shared by the Syracuse chapter of the AGO. He also moderated panel sessions and helped develop content for the 2019 Syracuse Legacies Organ Conference, an event celebrating Poister, Walter Holtkamp Sr. and Calvin Hampton.

“I am so grateful I had a chance to get to know Will Headlee over the past seven years,” says Anne Laver, assistant professor of organ in the Setnor School and current University organist. “He was a first-rate musician with a keen ear, and you could always count on him to give you his honest opinion of a performance. Will represented the best of humanity. He was kind, generous and devoted to his students.”

A celebration of Headlee’s life will be held at a later time. Memorials in honor of him can be directed to the Setnor School of Music by contacting Mike Grannis, assistant director of development and alumni relations, at 315.708.2377 or mjgranni@syr.edu.

  • Author

Erica Blust

  • Recent
  • The Milton Legacy: Romance, Success and Giving Back
    Monday, June 2, 2025, By Eileen Korey
  • Five Tips to Protect Your Health and Prepare for Worsening Air Conditions
    Monday, June 2, 2025, By Daryl Lovell
  • Newhouse Professor Robert Thompson Featured on ‘NBC Nightly News’ for Pop Culture Lecture Series
    Monday, June 2, 2025, By Keith Kobland
  • Newhouse Creative Advertising Students Win Big at Sports and Entertainment Clios
    Friday, May 30, 2025, By News Staff
  • Syracuse University Libraries’ Information Literacy Scholars Produce Information Literacy Collab Journal
    Thursday, May 29, 2025, By Cristina Hatem

More In Campus & Community

The Milton Legacy: Romance, Success and Giving Back

Growing up, Stacey Milton Leal ’75 and Chris Milton heard countless stories about how Syracuse University brought their parents together in what would turn out to be a fairy tale romance with a happy forever ending. So it was no…

Syracuse University Libraries’ Information Literacy Scholars Produce Information Literacy Collab Journal

Earlier this month, Syracuse University Libraries’ Information Literacy Scholars published their first open access information literacy journal, Information Literacy Collab (ILC). It is available on SURFACE, the University’s open access institutional repository. ILC is a diamond open-access publication by and…

Trip to Atlanta Gives Falk Students ‘Real-World’ Opportunities and Connections

The city of Atlanta is home to professional sports franchises in major leagues: Atlanta United FC (Major League Soccer), the Braves (Major League Baseball), Dream (WNBA), Falcons (NFL), and Hawks (NBA). Atlanta also features professional teams in lacrosse, rugby, and…

Syracuse Spirit on Display: Limited-Edition Poster Supports Future Generations

The third annual fiscal-year end poster campaign is a wonderful way to celebrate Syracuse pride, expand your art collection and make a meaningful impact on the Orange community. As a token of appreciation for their generosity, the first 500 donors…

Maxwell Advisory Board Welcomes New Leadership

A Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs alumna who has supported student and faculty excellence through volunteer service and philanthropy has taken the helm of the Maxwell Advisory Board. Cathy Daicoff  G’79 began her term as chair at the…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.