Milton Babbitt (1916-2011) was an American composer, mathematician, and music theorist. Babbitt was known for his use of serial compositional techniques including the twelve-tone system. He served on the music faculties of Princeton University and the Juilliard School and contributed to the field of electronic music.

"In 1931 Babbitt entered the University of Pennsylvania with the intention of becoming a mathematician, but he soon transferred to New York University, concentrating on music under marion Bauer and philip James . He received the BA in music in 1935. As a student and during the ensuing years, Babbitt immersed himself in the intellectual milieu of New York, encountering influential philosophers such as Sidney Hook and James Wheelright, developing a life-long engagement with analytical philosophy, and reading widely in rapidly emerging and sometimes short-lived journals such as Symposium and Politics. His early attraction to the music of Varèse and Stravinsky soon gave way to an absorption in that of Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Anton Webern—particularly significant at a time when 12-tone music was unknown to many and viewed with skepticism by others." -Oxford Music Online

Deborah Ishlon (1925-1994) was the director of the press department for Columbia Records, also serving as Vice President of Creative Services. According to an interview with George Avakian, she worked with artists including Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong. She is credited with writing the liner notes for albums released by Columbia Records, including the New York Philharmonic with Leonard Bernstein. She also wrote a book, "Girl Singer" about the making of a recording star.