ARE D O I N G T H I N G S
ft
A Recent Picture
of the Late
Brook Mays
IN MEMORIAM
BROOK MAYS
Mr. Brook Mays, nationally known music dealer, passed
away August 8. He was president of Brook Mays & Company.
With five stores situated in strategic points in western Louis-
iana and Texas and twenty-five trucks, his hustling organiza-
tion sold more than 2000 pianos in one year.
Mr. Mays' First Job
Mr. Mays was born in Ripley, Tennessee, the son of a
Confederate soldier. He found his first job in Texas, with a
small piano concern owned by Will A. Watkin, about whom
Mr. Mays once said; "He was one of the finest and kindest-
hearted men I ever saw, and like a father to me. My first
work was to sweep the store, wash the windows, go errands
and collect. The store had a combination tuner and book-
keeper who after a year or so went to Denver and I was given
in addition to my other duties that of looking after the books."
Mr. Mays stayed with Mr. Watkin fourteen years and
then in 1901 with his savings and a loan from his father went
into business for himself. Among the first pianos he purchased
was the Kurtzmann, represented by Irving Devereux. An-
other old-time piano salesman Mr. Mays purchased pianos
from was Silas Mason, on the road at that time for the "Big
Four," the Rochester Company which later became the Aeo-
lian-American Piano Co.
Civic Interests
With the expansion of the piano business there came a
widening of Mr. Mays' interests and activities. He was one of
Dallas' largest real estate operators. The Brook Mays Build-
ing which he owned houses more than twenty-five of the
leading music teachers of Dallas. These teachers and their
students use the Brook Mays Recital Hall almost constantly
for their concerts and recitals.
One of his real estate projects which revealed Mr. Mays'
wide interests and warm humanity is the "Spring Street
Property," a negro community of almost a hundred model
homes, up-to-date in every way, and offered at moderate
rentals.
of
Dallas, Texas
ft
The life of Brook Mays, a modest man to all his friends,
was an inspiration to the young men in his organization, and
by his sympathetic understanding he created one of the crack
young selling organizations in the entire industry.
Presto Music Times received the following announcement
from an official of the Brook Mays Company:
"The Brook Mays Piano Stores in Dallas, Houston, Fort
Worth, Monroe, and Shreveport wish to announce that they
will continue to operate on the same basis as in the past
under the direction of their beloved deceased President,
Brook Mays.
"There will be no changes in their policies and the same
fine lines of pianos will be continued including the Knabe,
Wurlitzer, Winter, Musette, Lester, and Bradbury.
"The personnel of the organization, including the man-
agement and all employees, will continue in their respective
positions as in the past."
FRANK HOOD
Mr. Frank Hood for many years associated with the Music
Trade and active in both manufacturing and sales died August
27,1940 at Chicago. He was a very able and practical piano man
and for a number of years was associated with the Schiller
Piano Company. He attended the recent Convention and seemed
to be in excellent health and spirits and his passing will be
sincerely regretted by all of his friends in and out of the trade
from coast to coast.
J. R. REED COMPANY OPEN A BEAUTIFUL NEW STORE
On July 8, 1940, The
J. R. Reed Music Com-
pany of Austin, Texas,
opened a new three
story building dedi-
cated to the music busi-
ness. It is in modernis-
tic style and is exceed-
ingly attractive.
T h e accompanying
picture shows the in-
terior of the store at
the formal opening. The
gentleman in white in
the left foreground is
J. R. Reed who founded
the business in 1901.
SEPTEMBER, NINETEEN FORTY
PAGE ELEVEN
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