N150: Sousa pens special march for Nebraska U

Craig Chandler | University Communication

Fireworks fly during pregame festivities in Memorial Stadium for the 2016 game with the University of Minnesota. John Philip Sousa, who wrote "The Stars and Stripes Forever," also composed a march for Dear Old Nebraska U.

A kaleidoscope of fireworks bursting in concert with iconic marches of John Philip Sousa make for a classic pairing at Fourth of July celebrations across the nation.

But, did you know that Sousa’s expansive catalog of 135 marches — including “The Stars and Stripes Forever” — includes a special composition for the University of Nebraska?

Video: "University of Nebraska March"

Released in 1928, Sousa’s “University of Nebraska March” was written specifically for Dear Old Nebraska U’s ROTC band, which became the Cornhusker Marching Band. Inspiration for the march was sparked when Sousa and his military band performed in Lincoln in 1927.

After the performance, E.A. Burnett, who was acting chancellor at the time, asked Sousa to compose a march specifically for the university. The request came around the same time Sousa presented the university band with the Distinguished Recognition Trophy in 1927.

trophies — The Distinguished Recognition Trophy (left) presented to the Nebraska U band by John Philip Sousa in 1927 and the Sousa Foundation's 1996 Sudler Trophy (right) are on display in Westbrook Music Building.

In a letter to Burnett announcing the completion of the march, Sousa said his friends seemed to like the composition “very much.”

“I sincerely hope the march will appeal to you and the students,” Sousa wrote.

The completion of the march was announced in a Feb. 22, 1928 article in The Daily Nebraskan. Sousa’s Nebraska march has been played at a variety of campus events through the years. It was featured in the Cornhusker Marching Band’s football pregame program from the mid-1990s through 2013. It is expected to return this fall for a halftime show celebrating the university’s 150th anniversary.