John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa, born November 6, 1854, in Washington, D.C., was an American composer, conductor, and book writer who worked in both the concert hall and on Broadway. The third of ten children born to João António de Sousa, a trombonist of Portuguese descent born in Spain, and Maria Elisabeth Trinkaus, a Bavarian-born German woman, Sousa grew up in the nation's capital and died on March 6, 1932, in Reading, Pennsylvania, at age 77. He is buried at Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Sousa's formal musical training began in the early 1860s under John Esputa Jr., with whom he studied violin, piano, flute, several brass instruments, and singing, and under whom he demonstrated perfect pitch. He later studied music theory and composition under George Felix Benkert. At age 13, his father enlisted him in the United States Marine Corps as an apprentice musician to prevent him from joining a circus band. He completed that apprenticeship and left the Marine Corps in 1875, after which he performed as a violinist in theatrical pit orchestras and developed his skills as a conductor.

In 1880, Sousa rejoined the Marine Band as its director, a position he held for twelve years. During that tenure he led the band under five presidents, from Rutherford B. Hayes through Benjamin Harrison, and directed performances at the inaugural balls of James A. Garfield in 1881 and Benjamin Harrison in 1889. He departed the Marine Corps in July 1892 to pursue a civilian career and immediately organized the Sousa Band, which toured from 1892 to 1931 and gave 15,623 concerts in the United States and internationally, including performances at the World Exposition in Paris and at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In Paris, the band marched through the streets to the Arc de Triomphe, one of only eight parades the ensemble conducted during its four decades of touring.

Widely known as "The March King," Sousa composed some of the most recognized military marches in American history. Among his best-known works are "The Stars and Stripes Forever," which Congress designated the National March of the United States of America in 1987, "Semper Fidelis," the official march of the United States Marine Corps, "The Liberty Bell," "The Thunderer," and "The Washington Post." He also contributed to the development of the sousaphone, a large brass instrument related to the helicon and tuba. His composition "Nobles of the Mystic Shrine" was written for the Almas Shriners, an organization of which he was named Honorary Band Leader.

Beyond the concert stage, Sousa had a presence on Broadway as a performer, composer, and book writer. His Broadway credits include The Free Lance, the musical Chris and the Wonderful Lamp, The American Maid, the musical Hold Everything, and Teddy and Alice, among other productions. His Broadway appearance in 1915 placed his theatrical work alongside his extensive career as a bandleader and composer.

When the United States entered World War I, Sousa was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Naval Reserve on May 31, 1917, at age 62. He led the Navy Band at the Great Lakes Naval Station near Chicago and donated his entire naval salary, save a token one dollar per month, to the Sailors' and Marines' Relief Fund. Following his discharge from active duty in November 1918, he returned to leading the Sousa Band. In the early 1920s he was promoted to the permanent rank of lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve. For his wartime service, Sousa received the World War I Victory Medal and was elected a Veteran Companion of the Military Order of Foreign Wars.

On December 30, 1879, Sousa married Jane van Middlesworth Bellis, and the couple had three children: John Jr., Jane Priscilla, and Helen. In his later years he lived in Sands Point, New York, in a house called Wildbank, which has been designated a National Historic Landmark. He died of heart failure on March 6, 1932, the day after conducting a rehearsal of "The Stars and Stripes Forever" with the Ringgold Band in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Among the honors Sousa received were the Royal Victorian Medal from King Edward VII in December 1901, awarded for conducting a private birthday concert for Queen Alexandra, and decorations including the palms of the Order of Public Instruction of Portugal and the Order of Academic Palms of France. In 1922 he became an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi, the national honorary band fraternity, and in 1932 he was initiated as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia by the Alpha Xi chapter at the University of Illinois. A World War II Liberty ship was named in his honor, and in 1952, 20th Century Fox released the Technicolor film Stars and Stripes Forever, with Clifton Webb portraying Sousa in a story loosely based on his memoirs Marching Along. Every year on November 6, the Marine Band performs "Semper Fidelis" at his grave in Washington, D.C.