James S. Ralston earned the Associate Degree from
Kansas City, Kansas Junior College, and the Bachelor
of Music, the Master of Music Education, and the Ph.D
in Music Education from the University of Kansas. Dr.
Ralston served in the Navy from 1952 to 1956, taught
choral music at Washington High School in Kansas
City from 1956 to 1962, and was on music faculty at
The University of Kansas from 1962 until his retirement
in 1994. He served as the Chair of the Department of
Ensembles and the Director of the Choral Division at
The University of Kansas, where he initiated the
masters and doctoral degrees in Choral Conducting and
was associated with the Midwestern Music Camp.
Choirs under Dr. Ralston's direction performed at
conventions of KMEA, MENC, ACDA, and with The
Kansas City Philharmonic, The Kansas City Symphony,
and The Wichita Symphony. His choirs performed new
works by prominent composers in association with the
Symposium of Contemporary Music.