Rebecca Walker Steele (October 18, 1925 - January 12, 2019) was an American musician and educator. She was known for her singing and for her choral direction. Steele directed choirs at Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman College.
Steele was born on October 18, 1925 in Lakeland, Florida.[1] She showed early musical talent, performing in her grandfather's church at age 4.[2] Her parents encouraged her in pursuing music and made she had the "best possible training."[1] She attended the Rochelle High School and earned an associates degree from Florida Memorial College.[2] Steele graduated with a bachelors degree from Alabama State University (ASU), where she studied piano under Hazel Harrison.[1] She earned masters degrees in voice, piano, choral conducting and also in music education from Columbia University.[1] Steele earned her Ph.D in 1973 from Florida State University, where she specialized in multicultural music education.[1][2]
While she was in New York City, she "was in great demand as a singer."[1] Steele worked as the University choir director at Florida A&M University (FAMU) where she was in charge of one of Tallahassee's first "multiracial choirs."[3][4] Steel worked at FAMU between 1947 until 1976, when she went on to become a faculty member at Bethune-Cookman College.[4] Steele retired from Bethune-Cookman in 2013.[2] As a choir director, her choral groups performed across the United States and were "constantly in demand."[1]
Steele died on January 12, 2019.[2]