Composer; born in Montclair, N.J. As a young white man, he studied the published scores of the African-American ragtime composers such as Scott Joplin and James Scott. He then published his own rag, "Sensation," in 1908 and by 1919 had composed 12 more that ensured his later reputation. He remained unknown for years while working in the New York textile trade. He resumed composing in 1949, occasionally performing his works, and first recorded in 1959.