Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Sousa, John Philip

SOUSA, John Philip, musician, b. in Washington, D. C., 6 Nov., 1854. He studied in the

common schools in Washington, and had as instructors in music John Esputa and George Felix Benkert. At the age of twenty-six he became bandmaster of the U. S. marine corps, and held this position from 1880 until 1892. He has produced the following operas: &ldquo;The Smugglers&rdquo; (1879); &ldquo;Désirée&rdquo;(1884); &ldquo;The Queen of Hearts&rdquo; (1886); &ldquo;El Capitan&rdquo; (1893); &ldquo;The Bride Elect&rdquo; (1897); and &ldquo;The Charlatan&rdquo; (1898). He is best known, perhaps, for his marches, and the title of &ldquo;The March King&rdquo; has often been applied to him. Among his marches may be mentioned the following: &ldquo;The Washington Post,&rdquo; &ldquo;High School Cadets,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Liberty Bell,&rdquo; &ldquo;Manhattan Beach,&rdquo; &ldquo;King Cotton,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Directorate,&rdquo; &ldquo;El Capitan,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Bride Elect,&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Stars and Stripes Forever.&rdquo; He is also the composer of a great number of miscellaneous compositions and arrangements for orchestra and military bands, songs, etc. His compilation of &ldquo;National, Patriotic, and Typical Airs of Every Land&rdquo; was officially adopted by the navy department.