William Wilson Corcoran

William Wilson Corcoran , 1798-1888, American financier, philanthropist, and art collector, b. Georgetown, D.C. After becoming a successful banker, he retired in 1854 and devoted himself to his philanthropic activities, which included gifts to many educational and religious institutions, as well as the founding of the Louise Home for Women in Washington. His chief gift was the Corcoran Gallery of Art, in Washington, which had as its nucleus Corcoran's art collection. The present marble building, designed by Ernest Flagg, was opened in 1897. The gallery has collections of paintings, sculpture, and ceramics, as well as an art school.

Corcoran Gallery of Art see under Corcoran, William Wilson .

Wilson, (Sir) (James) Steuart (b Bristol, 1889; d Petersfield, 1966). Eng. tenor and administrator. Came into prominence singing Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Cambridge 1910, and Vaughan Williams's On Wenlock Edge 1911. Lung damaged in 1914–18 war but resumed career. Involved in Glastonbury Fest. opera ventures. Founder-member of English Singers (specialists in Elizabethan and folk-songs), sang with BNOC, and famous as Evangelist in Bach's St Matthew Passion and as Elgar's Gerontius. Taught at Curtis Inst. 1939–42; overseas mus. dir. BBC 1942–5, mus. dir., Arts Council, 1945–8; head of mus., BBC 1948–9; deputy gen. administrator, CG 1949–55. Prin., Birmingham Sch. of Mus., 1957–60. With A. H. Fox Strangways, made singing trans. of Schubert Lieder. Knighted 1948.