Manuscript Collection

Jerry L. Helton

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Identifier

Accession 1588

Inclusive Dates

1959-1992, nd

Restrictions

Open under the rules and regulations of the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections

Collection Size

1.5 linear feet, 3000 pieces

Language

English;

Historical Note

Jerry L. Helton was born on July 3, 1933, and was widely respected in the opera and vocal performance communities as an accomplished tenor. He studied at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia before earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Cincinnati. Throughout his performing career, Helton appeared with numerous opera companies, including the Philadelphia Lyric Opera, the Brooklyn Opera, the Boston Opera Society, the Charlotte Opera Association, and the Hartford Opera Company.

In 1970, Helton joined the faculty of Winthrop College, where he taught voice performance for 36 years before retiring in 2006. During his tenure, he received the Kinard Award for Teaching in 1987, the highest honor bestowed by the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and was later awarded Winthrop University’s Medal of Honor in 2013. Although he officially retired in 2006, Helton continued to teach as an adjunct professor for several years and remained a highly sought-after voice teacher within the community.

Jerry L. Helton passed away on October 19, 2014.

Scope and Content Note

The Jerry L. Helton Collection documents the professional career and legacy of Jerry L. Helton, an accomplished tenor and longtime voice professor at Winthrop College. The collection includes a scrapbook containing concert and opera programs, correspondence, newspaper articles, and photographs related to Helton’s performance career and his service as a faculty member at Winthrop.

Additional materials outside the scrapbook include newspaper clippings, correspondence, performance programs, and teaching evaluations that further document Helton’s musical and academic work. The collection also contains thirty-five reel-to-reel audio tape recordings of Helton’s performances. Many of these recordings were made during his tenure as a professor at Winthrop, while others predate his appointment and reflect earlier stages of his performing career.

Spanning Helton’s association with Winthrop College from 1970 through his retirement in 2006—and his continued service as an adjunct instructor in subsequent years—the collection illustrates his dual roles as a performer and educator and highlights his lasting impact on the Winthrop music department and the broader performing arts community.

Provenance

The Jerry Helton Scrapbook was donated to the Winthrop University Archives and Special Collections in 2017 by Jerry Helton’s wife Mary Ann Helton. An addition of 35 reel-to-reel audio tapes were donated by the Helton family via, family friend and former student of Helton’s, Aaron McKone on December 22, 2025.

Copyright

For information concerning copyright please contact the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections at Winthrop University.

Jerry L. Helton Collection - Accession 1588

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