Oliver Ditson
publisher
business founder
Biography
Oliver Ditson headed the great music publishing house of Oliver Ditson & Company, where Patrick Joseph Healy rose to a responsible position. Perceiving the possibilities in the rapidly developing western cities, Ditson planned branch houses in Cincinnati, St. Louis, Chicago, and San Francisco, and gave Healy his choice among the last three; Healy chose Chicago, leading to the founding of Lyon & Healy in 1864 under the protection of the Ditson parent house. Ditson predicted the new firm would do $100,000 of business per year within ten years, a mark Healy's reported sales exceeded within the first twelve months.
Highlights
- Headed the music publishing house that gave P. J. Healy his start in a responsible position
- Planned branch houses in Cincinnati, St. Louis, Chicago, and San Francisco and sent Healy to Chicago, resulting in the founding of Lyon & Healy in 1864
- Predicted the new firm would reach $100,000 in annual sales within ten years; Healy exceeded it within one year
Source
Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), pp. 350, 351.
Public domain.