William Grant Still: A Study in Contradictions Volume 2 - Paperbackby Catherine Parsons Smith (Author), Gayle Murchison (Contribution by), Willard Gatewood (Contribution by) During the 1930s and 1940s William Grant Still (1895 1978) was known as the "Dean of Afro American Composers." He worked as an arranger for early radio, on Broadway, and in Hollywood; major symphony orchestras performed his concert works; and an opera, written in collaboration with Langston Hughes, was produced by the New York City Opera. Despite