National Association of Schools of Music explained

The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) is an association of post-secondary music schools in the United States and the principal U.S. accreditor for higher education in music. It was founded on October 20, 1924, and is based in Reston, Virginia. The association's accreditation of schools of music began in 1939. It is currently headquartered in Reston, Virginia.

Accreditation

NASM is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as a programmatic accreditation organization for institutions offering degree and non-degree educational programs in music and music-related disciplines.^[1] ^[2] It currently has approximately 625 accredited institutional members, including specialty schools of music, conservatories, and universities offering music programs.

History

On June 10, 1924, leaders from six music schools met to organize the inaugural convention of the "National Association of Schools of Music and Allied Arts", which was held on October 20, 1924 in Pittsburgh. The six founding schools were:

Burnet Corwin Tuthill (1888–1982), Cincinnati Conservatory of Music
John James Hattstaedt (1851–1931), American Conservatory of Music (1886–1991)
Kenneth McPherson Bradley (1872–1954), Bush Conservatory of Music, which merged in 1932 with The Chicago Conservatory College under duress of the Great Depression
Arthur Wright Mason (1866–1955), Louisville Conservatory of Music, which merged in 1932 with the University of Louisville under duress of the Great Depression
Charles Newell Boyd (1875–1937), Pittsburgh Musical Institute, which merged in 1963 with the University of Pittsburgh
Edwin John Stringham (1890–1974), Wolcott Conservatory of Music, founded in 1920 and in 1925 was reorganized and renamed as the Denver College of Music

The attendees at the first NASM Convention of October 20, 1924, decided to officially form the "National Association of Schools of Music and Allied Arts." The accreditation aspect of NASM, though, did not launch until about 1929. The charter members currently in existence are:

The Music Conservatory of Chicago College of Performing Arts
Cleveland Institute of Music
Converse College, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester
New England Conservatory of Music, Boston
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Oberlin College
Syracuse University
University of Cincinnati
University of Iowa, Iowa City
University of Kansas, Lawrence
University of Michigan
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
University of Oregon
University of the Pacific, Stockton, California
University of Southern California
Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Milwaukee
Yale University

NASM's founding officers were Kenneth M. Bradley, President; Burnet C. Tuthill, Secretary; and Charles N. Boyd, Treasurer.^[3] ^[4]

Current and past presidents

1924–1928 - Kenneth McPherson Bradley (1872–1954), Bush Conservatory of Music
1928–1931 - Harold Lancaster Butler (1874–1957), Syracuse University, University of Kansas
1932–1935 - Earl Vincent Moore (1890–1987), University of Michigan
1935–1944 - Howard Harold Hanson (1996–1981), Eastman School of Music
1944–1948 - Donald Malcolm Swarthout (1894–1962), University of Kansas
1948–1952 - Price Asher Doyle (1896–1967), Murray State University
1953–1962 - Thomas Artur Gorton, PhD (1910–1997), University of Kansas (served 4 terms as president)
1955–1958 - Erza William Doty PhD (1907–1994), University of Texas at Austin
1962–19?? - Charles Brownlow Hunt, Jr. (1916–2002), Peabody College
1968 - Robert Hargreaves, Ball State University^[5]
1971–1972 - Carl Melvin Neumeyer (1911–1972), Illinois Wesleyan University
1976–1978 - Warner Imig (1910–2005), University of Colorado at Boulder
1983–1985 - Thomas W. Miller, Northwestern University
1986–1988 - Robert Burr Glidden (born 1936), Florida State University
1989–1991 - Robert J. Werner, University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music
1992-1994 - Fred Miller DePaul University
1995–1997 - Harold M. Best, (born 1931), Wheaton College, Illinois
1998–2000 - J. William Hipp (born 1934), University of Miami School of Music
2001–2003 - David J. Tomatz, PhD (1935–2014), University of Houston
2004–2006 - Karen Lias Wolff, University of Michigan, Oberlin Conservatory of Music
2007–2009 - Daniel Sher, University of Colorado at Boulder
2010–2012 - Donald Gibson, Florida State University
2013–2015 - Mark Wait, Vanderbilt University
2016–2018 - Sue Haug, Pennsylvania State University
2019-2021 - Robert Earl Bays (born 1921)

References

General references

Carl Melvin Neumeyer (1911–1972), "The History of the National Association of Schools of Music," Doctor of Music Education dissertation, Indiana University, Bloomington (1954)
Carl Melvin Neumeyer (editor) (1911-1972), By-laws and regulations, National Association of Schools of Music (1965)
Bulletin of the National Association of Schools of Music
Burnet Corwin Tuthill (1888–1982), NASM, the first forty years; a personal history of the National Association of Schools of Music, National Association of Schools of Music (1973)
Sheila A. Barrows (born 1931) (compiler & editor), Historical Perspectives, 1924-1999: National Association of Schools of Music, Seventy-Fifth Anniversary, National Association of Schools of Music (1999)

Inline citations

External links

Official website

Notes and References

http://www.chea.org/Directories/special.asp Directory of Programmatic Accrediting Organizations
http://www.chea.org/pdf/2009_2010_Directory_of_CHEA_Recognized_Organizations.pdf 2009-2010 Directory of CHEA-Recognized Organizations
Los Angeles Times, Nov. 16, 1924, "Organize National Music Association", retrieved from ProQuest Historical Newspapers Los Angeles Times (1881-1986), pg. C39
Tuthill, pg. 1
"NASM Meeting in Chicago Attracts Record Turnout" (PDF). The Diapason. 59 (2): 1. January 1968.