William Patrick Foster (1919-2010) was the director of Florida A&M University’s "Marching 100" and was highly influential as a bandmaster, composer, and author. His book, Band Pageantry, a Guide for Marching Band, introduced new marching styles to the band scene, breaking away from the militarized marching formations, which was the norm in past bands. Foster was appointed to the American Council on the Arts by President Bill Clinton and inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, the National Association for Distinguished Band Conductors Hall of Fame, the Florida Music Educators Association Hall of Fame and the Afro-American Hall of Fame among others. He also served as the president of the American Bandmasters Association.
Dates
1971-1998
Majority of material found within 1996-1998
Duplication and Copyright Information
Copyright was not transferred to the University of Maryland with the gift of any copyrighted materials. All rights remain with the creators and rights holders. The University of Maryland Libraries is granted permission for the use in scholarly research by the Libraries’ patrons under fair use in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.
To inquire about duplication of materials for research or for publication, please contact SCPA’s curator.
This collection contains research, articles, awards, and programs related to Dr. William P. Foster.
Biography
William Patrick Foster (1919-2010) was the director of Florida A&M University's "Marching 100" and was highly influential as a bandmaster, composer, and author. Foster began his music studies at the age of 12 at the Clarinet. He received a Bachelors of Music Education Degree from The University of Kansas, a Masters of Arts in music from Wayne State University, and was a fellow on the Rosenwald General Education Board at Teachers College, Columbia University. He received an honorary Doctor of of Humane Letters degree from Florida A&M.
His book, Band Pageantry, a Guide for Marching Band, introduced new marching styles to the band scene, breaking away from the militarized marching formations, which was the norm in past bands. Foster was appointed to the American Council on the Arts by President Bill Clinton and inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, the National Association for Distinguished Band Conductors Hall of Fame, the Florida Music Educators Association Hall of Fame and the Afro-American Hall of Fame among others. He also served as the president of the American Bandmasters Association.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into 6 series:
Biographical Sketches
Chronology of Band History
Events and Programs
Press
Honors and Awards
Videorecordings
Custodial History and Acquisition Information
Donated to Special Collections in Performing Arts by Dr. William P. Foster in 1998.
Related Material
The William Foster papers are part of the American Bandmasters Association Research Center.
Contact:
University of Maryland Libraries 8270 Alumni Drive
College ParkMD20742United States scpa@umd.edu
Navigate the Collection
Citation
William Foster papers, Special Collections in Performing Arts, University of Maryland Libraries. http://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/30907 Accessed September 23, 2021.
