Ellis Lane Larkins

Thursday, December 12, 1935: In an auditorium of Douglas high school, then all African American, a crowd was gathered to celebrate the eleventh anniversary of the Baltimore Urban League. The keynote address was given by America's first lady, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, who then introduced an eleven year old boy named Ellis Lane Larkins, who then played a piano concert, a waltz by Moszkowski . At the same time across town at the Lyric, the great Rachmaninoff was also giving his own performance. A Sun review next morning held that Rachmaninoff was not at his best that night. The review failed to notice that across town in the auditorium of Douglas high school, Ellis Lane Larkins was... The story...