James A. Drake

A native of Columbus, Ohio, and a graduate (Ph.D.) of the Ohio State University, James A. Drake is a retired college president and the author of seven books and approximately 50 articles on a diversity of subjects ranging from logic and critical thinking to award-winning musical biographies. His two biographies of Rosa Ponselle (for Doubleday in 1982 and Amadeus in 1997) and Richard Tucker (for E.P. Dutton in 1984), with forewords by Luciano Pavarotti, were named "Music Books of the Month" by the National Book Clubs of America. He was also the co-host (with Don Martin from 1972-1979, and Charles Koelsch from 1989-1994) of "Voices That Live," radio shows dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of popular and classical vocal-music recordings.