Was Willa Mae Waid, a 1930 graduate of the Nashville Conservatory of
Music the same person as Willa Waid Newman who wrote "When Its Iris
Time In Tennessee", which in 1935 which became the state song.

Hello blufford-ga,

Apparently they are the same person.  The following web page reports
this information, citing the 1994/1995 Compton's Interactive
Encyclopedia:

"'When It's Iris Time in Tennessee', by Willa Mae Waid"

"State of Tennesse -- Information" (Rev. 11/14/1999)
County College of Morris - CMP 239 Internet and Web Page & Development
-
[Samuel L. Salters]
http://members.verizon.net/~ssalters/gifs/tn.htm

I hope that this information is helpful.

- justaskscott-ga


Search strategy:

Searched on Ixquick for:

"willa mae" "iris time"

Substituted "verizon" for "bellaltantic" in the following search
result:

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~ssalters/gifs/tn.htm

Thats the lady. Thanks

Just a hint that they might be one and the same person. Both names are
associated with skill as a pianist.

Piano exercises composed by Willa Waid Newman
http://www2.mailordercentral.com/Schaum/prodinfo.asp?number=5516&variation=&aitem=55&mitem=66

Newman, Willa Waid: The Seagull (another piano exercise)
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?q=%22willa+waid%22+OR+%22willa+mae+waid%22&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=200001251713.JAA98560%40clark.pathlink.com&rnum=2

"Ms. Willa Mae Waid" studied piano at the Peabody Institute in the
late 1920s:
http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/cons/alumni/missing.html

Good luck with finding a definite answer to your question!