Harrison Period
With the appointment of G. Donald Harrison as President and Tonal Director of Æolian-Skinner in 1933 by Skinner president Arthur Hudson Marks, the company’s tonal philosophy began to turn from the romantic-style orchestral instruments built under the direction of Skinner to a classically eclectic style. Organists began to look to the past to find direction for the future, and in doing so they found that they were in sympathy with the ideas being developed by Harrison. These ideas included the provision of smaller scaled diapasons, along with more higher-pitched and mutation stops in place of large-scaled unison diapasons, color reeds and flutes.
During Harrison’s tenure as president from 1933 until his death in 1956, the tonal design of Æolian-Skinner organs changed a great deal, but retained and perfected many of Ernest Skinner's mechanical innovations. The company used Skinner's Pitman windchest, for example, throughout its existence. Also the high quality and distinctive design details of the Æolian-Skinner console were preserved.
Notable instruments built or rebuilt during the Harrison period include:
- Boston, Massachusetts: Church of the Advent (1935, III/77 )
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: Northrup Auditorium Opus 892C (1936, IV/102)
- Groton, Massachusetts: Groton School (1935, III/95)
- San Francisco, California: Grace Cathedral Opus 910 (1933, IV/125)
- New York, New York: Church of St. Mary the Virgin (1942, IV/76)
- Salt Lake City, Utah: Mormon Tabernacle (1948, V/204)
- Boston, Massachusetts: Symphony Hall (1950, IV/80)
- Jacksonville, Illinois: MacMurray College Annie Merner Chapel (1952 Opus 1150, IV/59) - G. Donald Harrison "signature" organ
- New York, New York: Cathedral of St. John the Divine (1954, IV/141)
- Sage Chapel, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (1940, III/69)
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