Milton Adolphus (January 27, 1913 – August 16, 1988) was an American composer, pianist, and music administrator whose career spanned popular music, classical composition, and public service. His output includes more than 200 orchestral, chamber, and vocal works, among them 13 symphonies and 35 string quartets, including one unnumbered quartet. He was also active in music education, arts administration, and civil rights organizations. Adolphus was born in
the Bronx, New York City, and received his early musical training there. He later attended
Yale University, where he studied music before continuing advanced compositional studies in
Philadelphia with
Rosario Scalero, a teacher known for his emphasis on formal clarity and structural discipline and for his influence on a generation of American composers. During the early 1930s, Adolphus worked as a pianist and arranger in stage shows and dance bands, participating in the professional popular-music environment of the period. In 1930, while still in his teens, he composed the melody later known as "
Dream a Little Dream of Me." Contemporary newspaper accounts and surviving documentation indicate that he sold the song outright that year for $12.50, relinquishing any future ownership or royalty interest. The song was later published and credited to other composers, with lyrics supplied by a third author, and went on to become one of the most frequently recorded standards in American popular music. In 1936, Adolphus was appointed Director of the Philadelphia Music Center, where he organized concerts, educational programs, and performances connecting contemporary classical music with broader public audiences. During this period, he became involved with several major musical institutions. He was a founding member of the
American Composers Alliance, an organization established to support the performance and publication of American concert music, whose first president was
Aaron Copland. He also served as a board member of the
League of Composers and was involved extensively with the
Curtis Institute of Music. Adolphus was active in civic and social organizations as well. He participated in the
United States civil rights movement and later helped found the Urban League of Harrisburg, reflecting his long-standing commitment to community engagement alongside his musical work. In 1938, Adolphus moved to
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he joined the Department of Labor and Industry of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He remained in state service until his retirement in 1974. Throughout this period, he maintained a dual career, working full time in public service while composing steadily. Much of his large-scale compositional output, including symphonies, string quartets, and chamber works, was written outside academic or institutional appointments. Adolphus married Elena Watnik (1913–2005), later known as Elena Adolphus. The couple had one son, Stephen Harris Adolphus, born in Harrisburg on September 19, 1939. The family remained based in Harrisburg for many decades, where Adolphus was active in local musical organizations, choral conducting, and church music. After retiring from state employment, Adolphus relocated to
West Harwich, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. There he continued to compose and became involved with the Chatham Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, which he helped organize. His later years were devoted largely to composition and community music activities. Milton Adolphus died on August 16, 1988, in
Harwich, Massachusetts. His survivors included his wife, Elena, and his son, Stephen. His legacy is preserved in part through the Milton Adolphus Award, presented annually to a student at
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City, recognizing achievement in composition. ==Early career and popular music work==