RUNCIE, Constance Owen Faunt Le Roy
(1836–1911)> PIANIST · POETESS · COMPOSER
RUNCIE, Constance Owen Faunt Le Roy (Mrs. James) American pianist, poetess and composer. Indianapolis, IN, January 15, 1836; Winnetka, IL, May 17, 1911. She studied the piano and composition under various masters in Germany from 1852 and on her return to the United States in 1861, began to compose songs. She was one of the first American women to receive recognition as a serious composer and organized the Minerva Club at New Harmony, IN, said to be the first such women’s club in America. She…