The professors at Arkansas Industrial Univeristy: W. F. C. Böteführ

W. F. C. Böteführ
From History of the Univeristy of Arkansas

Wolf Detleff Carl Böteführ (b. June 22, 1833; d. May 29, 1904)

Germany.  White.
Education: unknown

Occupation: music agent, music teacher.

W. D. C. Böteführ was born in Holstein, Germany to Andreas Friedrich and Dorothea Christiana Schlunz Böteführ. Little is known about W. D. C.'s life in Germany. His family immigrated to the United States in 1846, when W. D. C. was about 13 years old. They settled in Macoupin County, IL.

In Illinois, W. D. C.'s father Andreas worked as a house carpenter. The father Andreas and his wife Dorothea maintained a refined household, and W. D. C. was able to study music. By 1850, W. D. C. was working as a music agent.

During the Civil War, W. D. C. did not serve in the military and remained in Illinois. Around the end of the war, in 1865 or 1866, he moved to St. Louis, MO. He first worked as a salesman, but later worked as an organist at the First Methodist Church. However, he resigned from the position in 1872 to move to Arkansas. He moved to become Professor of Music at Arkansas Industrial Univeristy.

Confusingly, W. D. C. was one of two Böteführ's involved with the university. The other was influential trustee member Hugh Carl Christian Böteführ. It is unclear if the two were blood relations, although both had immigrated from Germany. 

In addition to his duties as a music professor, Böteführ taught German for a year (the 1874-75 academic year). In 1881, he resigned from his univeristy position and moved to Fort Smith.

In Fort Smith, Böteführ continued to teach music. He was highly-regarded and considered by some to be the foremost music theorist in the Southwest. One Fort Smith newspaper said that Böteführ "has done more than any other two persons to place Fort Smith on the high plane it now occupies as a musical center."

Böteführ left Fort Smith in 1903 to life with his son in Pittsburg, KS. He died the next year.  Böteführ  is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Fayetteville, AR.

Sources

1. "Personal Paragraphs." Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, AR). April 10, 1903. p. 6.

2. "Professor Botefuhr will leave." Fort Smith Times (Fort Amith, AR). April 7, 1903. p. 8. 

3. "Professor Botefuhr dead." Fort Smith Times (Fort Smith, AR). May 31, 1904. p. 8.

7. 1850; Census Place: Township 7 Range 7 West, Macoupin, Illinois; Roll: 118; Page: 320b

8. 1870; Census Place: Township 7 Range 8, Macoupin, Illinois; Roll: M593_250; Page: 232A

4. 1880; Census Place: Fayetteville, Washington, Arkansas; Roll: 59; Page: 680A; Enumeration District: 215

5. 1900; Census Place: Fort Smith Ward 4, Sebastian, Arkansas; Page: 3; Enumeration District: 0131; FHL microfilm: 1240077

6. Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, Kansas; 1905 Kansas Territory Census; Roll: ks1905_37; Line: 10

8. History of the Univeristy of Arkansas. pp.  442-443.

9. St Louis, Missouri, City Directory, 1866, 1867.

10. Illinois State Business Directory, 1864-65