The John Philip Sousa Baton is a conducting baton originally presented to

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 ...

upon his resignation as the director of the

United States Marine Band The United States Marine Band is the premier band of the United States Marine Corps. Established by act of Congress on July 11, 1798, it is the oldest of the United States military bands and the oldest professional musical organization in the ...

. After his death, it was donated to the Marine Band, and since it has been traditionally passed to the new director from the outgoing director of the band during the change of command ceremonies.

Description

The John Philip Sousa Baton is wooden conducting baton, capped with a silver engraving depicting the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

Eagle, Globe, and Anchor The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor (commonly referred to as an EGA) is the official emblem and insignia of the United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land f ...

emblem and finished in silver at the opposite end. Along the side of the bottom is engraved the words "John Philip Sousa—presented by members of the U.S. Marine Band as a token of their respect and esteem. July 29, 1892."

History

Historian Paul E. Bierley describes that

molded the United States Marine Band into "the finest military band in the world". In 1892, however, Sousa announced his resignation following his twelve years of service as the director of the Marine Band. He wanted to organize his own band, which he later called "Sousa's Band". On July 29, Sousa directed the band in a penultimate concert at the National Theater.

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

Levi P. Morton Levi Parsons Morton (May 16, 1824 – May 16, 1920) was the 22nd vice president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He also served as United States ambassador to France, as a U.S. representative from New York, and as the 31st Governor of Ne ...

and Speaker of the House of Representatives

Charles Frederick Crisp Charles Frederick Crisp (January 29, 1845 – October 23, 1896) was a United States political figure. A Democrat, he was elected as a congressman from Georgia in 1882, and served until his death in 1896. From 1890 until his death, he led the Demo ...

were among the dignitaries in attendance. The next day, Sousa led the band in its final performance under his leadership at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

for

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...

, following which he was officially discharged from service. The last piece Sousa conducted while leader of the Marine Band was "

Hail, Columbia "Hail, Columbia" is an American patriotic song and ceremonial entrance march of the vice president of the United States. It was originally considered to be one of the unofficial national anthems of the United States until 1931, when "The St ...

". At the White House lawn, he was presented with the baton as token of the respect and esteem of the bandsmen. The presentation was made by Walter F. Smith, a member of the Marine Band who was resigning with Sousa to join his new band. Sousa died in 1932, and in 1953, his daughters Jane and Helen Sousa donated the baton to the United States Marine Band. Since, the baton has been traditionally passed to the new director from the outgoing director of the band during change of command ceremonies. It is otherwise held at the

National Museum of the Marine Corps The National Museum of the Marine Corps is the historical museum of the United States Marine Corps. Located in Triangle, Virginia near MCB Quantico, the museum opened on November 10, 2006, and is now one of the top tourist attractions in the st ...

. The baton figures in the plot of the 2011 juvenile novel by Martha Freeman, ''The Case of the Rock 'n Roll Dog''. According to ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'', the book centers on a "concert

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

is jeopardized when, among other items, the John Philip Sousa baton used by the Marine Corps Band goes missing."

References

{{John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa United States Marine Band

Description

History

See also

References