| James E. King was born January 25, 1887 in Marlin, Texas. He
showed an early interest in bands which resulted in his attending the St.
Louis Conservatory of Music. Upon graduation in 1909, he returned
to Texas where he immediately went into the band business by organizing
bands in Coleman and Mexia. He later directed the TCU and Baylor
bands as both schools were starting their music program. While in
Mexia in 1914 he took the Mexia Concert Band to Richmond, Virginia, as
the official Texas Band at the Confederate Reunion. In 1915, the
band once again appeared at the Confederate Reunion this time, however,
at Birmingham, Alabama. Upon becoming Colonel King, the head band
director for the Confederate Reunion, he annually took a band to the reunion
and played many concerts on the way in places such as New Orleans, Houston,
Mobile and at the home of Jefferson Davis in Mississippi. In 1917,
he moved to Waxahachie where he organized the famous “Lone Star Band.”
Conway King, future President of Texas Music Educators Association and
brother of James King, and Ralph Beck, a long time member of TMEA, were
members of this band. The band made many concert trips playing before
President Woodrow Wilson in Washington, D.C. and John Phillip Sousa in
Salt Lake City, where Sousa commented that the “Lone Star Band played his
music as it was meant to be played.” In 1920, while in Waxahachie
he called a group of bandmasters together and started the Texas Band Teacher’s
Association, the forerunner of TMEA. He served as its first President
and founder. He later organized the first band contest in Texas,
which was held at the State Fair in Dallas. His brother, Conway,
won first prize, a gold cornet. All the bands that participated were
municipal bands. During the 1920’s he started a movement to get band
into the public schools. With such men as D. O. Wiley, Raymond Bynum
and Col. R. J. Dunn, this became a reality on July 3, 1935. By this
time many schools had bands, and were giving credit; Abilene High being
the first, but there was no state curriculum, nor monetary support for
music.
“Prof”’ as he was called by his students, was a true pioneer in the
band movement of Texas. He first came to Coleman in 1909 and quickly
organized a town band and remained until 1910. He returned to Coleman
in about 1930 to become bandmaster for Coleman Schools and served in that
capacity until the mid 1940’s. He composed the words and music to
the Coleman High School Alma Mater while here. “Prof” died July 31,
1947 in Coleman and buried with his son, Marion Conway (November 5, 1919
- October 7, 1943), at Coleman. Marion was a Second Lieutenant in
the Air Corps from Texas, a P-38 pilot in WW II. Marion was first
in the Army as a member of the 142nd Infantry Band and had been stationed
at Camp Bowie in Brownwood and Camp Blanding before transferring to the
Air Corp. He had also served as student band director as Sam Houston
State Teachers College at Huntsville. Marion married Miss Frances
Mae Williams, September 2, 1943 in San Diego, California, the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. F. H. Williams of Coleman. “Prof’s” other sons, Jimmy
Jr., Leonard and W. W., all became band directors. His two daughters,
Mrs. Sidney Johnson of Mexia, and Frances (Mrs. Charles) Lockwood of Brownwood,
grew up in the band tradition of the King family as members of various
bands and orchestras. Frances graduated from Coleman High School.
(Images to be added)
James E. King
|