Colonel George Sallade Howard (February 24, 1902 – September 18, 1995) was commander and conductor of

The United States Air Force Band The United States Air Force Band is a U.S. military band consisting of 184 active-duty members of the United States Air Force. It is the Air Force's premier musical organization and is based at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.. Within t ...

between 1947 and 1963.

Life and career

A native of

Reamstown, Pennsylvania Reamstown (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Riemeschteddel'') is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,361 at the 2010 census. Geography Reamstown is located in ...

, Howard became a student of

Patrick Conway Patrick "Patsy" Conway (July 4, 1865 – June 10, 1929) was a prominent American bandleader during the golden era of professional bands. He often was referred to as Pat Conway or Patsy Conway. Early life Conway was born in Troy, New York, but mo ...

at the Conway Military Band School located on the campus of

Ithaca College Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music and is set against the backdrop of the city of Ithaca (which is separate from the town), Cayuga Lake, waterfalls, and go ...

(where he became a member of

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America (colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Mu Alpha, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music. The fraternity is open to men "w ...

) and played

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

in Conway's professional band. In 1925 he became the band director of

Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium ...

(where he became a member of

Phi Kappa Tau Phi Kappa Tau (), commonly known as Phi Tau (), is a collegiate fraternity located in the United States. The fraternity was founded in 1906. As of November 2022, the fraternity has 161 chartered chapters, 79 active chapters, 6 Associate chapte ...

fraternity), and he earned Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from that institution in 1929. He later earned degrees from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

(MA, 1936);

Chicago Musical College Chicago Musical College is a division of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. History Founding Dr. Florenz Ziegfeld Sr (1841–1923), founded the college in 1867 as the Chicago Academy of Music. The institution h ...

(BA, 1934; MM, 1935; DM, 1939); and

(HD, 1984). Howard taught at

Mansfield University Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is a campus of Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania and it is located it in Mansfield, Pennsylvania. Part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the campus' total enrollment is 1,6 ...

and later at

Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...

. In 1942, Howard was commissioned into the Army Specialist Corps, and in 1947 Howard's reputation as a conductor led to his commission as leader of the newly formed Air Force Band. He directed the USAF Band and Orchestra until his retirement with the rank of colonel in 1963. During his tenure he established several performing groups,including Airmen of Note, Singing Sergeants, Strolling Strings, and Women in the Air Force Band. He also founded the USAF Bandsman School. Howard was elected President of the

American Bandmasters Association The American Bandmasters Association (ABA) was formed in 1929 by Edwin Franko Goldman to promote concert band music.Raoul F. Camus. "American Bandmasters Association." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/sub ...

in 1956, and became an Honorary Life Member in 1984. He served as Honorary Life President from 1986 until his death in 1995. The

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dist ...

Foundation awards the Colonel George S. Howard Citation of Musical Excellence for Military Concert Bands in Col. Howard's memory and the Air Force Band's annual young artists competition is named in his memory.

References

External links

Colonel George S. Howard Papers
- Special Collections in Performing Arts, University of Maryland
History of United States Air Force Band
*Interviews with George S. Howard.
January 3, 1985April 13, 1985
University of Texas at San Antonio: Institute of Texan Cultures: Oral History Collection, UA 15.01, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.]

Life and career

References

External links

Further reading