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By Kendall McFarlin
Collection Overview
Title: Frank McGrann Personal Papers and Sound Recordings, 1906-2004
ID: 12/9/183
Primary Creator: Frank McGrann (1880-1962)
Other Creators: John McGrann
Extent: 4.85 cubic feet
Arrangement: Organized in 5 series. Series 1: Correspondence and Personal Papers. Series 2: Photographs. Series 3: Scores and Published Music. Series 4: Sound Recordings. Series 5: Sousa and Band Ephemera. Series 1 is organized by both recipient and date. Series 2 is organized by the size of the photograph for the boxes and date within the boxes. Series 3 is organized by song title. Series 4 is organized alphabetically by song title and disc size. Series 5 is organized by type of item.
Date Acquired: 09/19/2024
Subjects: Band Musicians, Bands, Banking, Clarke, Herbert L., Conductors (Music), Goldman, Edwin Franko, Military Bands, Pennsylvania, Pryor, Arthur, Sousa, John Philip
Formats/Genres: Audio-Visual Material, Correspondence, Photographs, Sound Recordings, Uniforms
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Consists of band programs, articles, sound recordings, photographs, published music, and correspondence with Hebert L Clarke, Albert Knecht, Frank Simon, Frank Holton, and other band leaders, documenting Frank McGrann's career as a musician, conductor, and arranger. Of note is a sound recording of McGrann's eulogy given at Herbert L Clarke's funeral.
Biographical Note
Frank "Squire" McGrann (1880-1962) was born at Grand View Farm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on November 13, 1880. The son of Bernard J. and Mary F. Dougherty McGrann, he graduated high school from Mercersburg Academy. As a boy, McGrann played the trombone. After graduating, McGrann played with Christ Burger's Military Band, which later became Burger's 4th Regiment Band at the Lancaster Elk's Lodge #134. At the age of 23, he joined the Conestoga National Bank of Lancaster, serving as its director for over 50 years. From 1918 to 1924 and from 1930 to 1948, he served as Mannheim Township's Justice of the Peace.
Through his connections with the bank and due to his interest in wind bands, McGrann sponsored many talented bands to visit Lancaster, including the John Philip Sousa Band, the Arthur Pryor Band, the Frederick Innes Band, the Herbert L. Clarke Band, and the Edwin Franko Goldman Band. Although an amateur conductor, he served as the director of the Conestoga Bank Brass Band, which only gave two performances in 1939 and 1940. Through his sponsorship of band concerts, he established close working relationships and friendships with many of the band directors above. He was a close confidant to Herbert L. Clarke, delivering a eulogy at Clarke's funeral. Due to his contributions to the band world, McGrann was elected as an associate member of the American Bandmasters Association in 1947.
In 1942, McGrann sold some of his land to the recording company, RCA, so they could construct a new factory in Lancaster. This RCA factory specialized in television vaccuum tube manufacturing and led to the creation of many new jobs in the city. With an avid interest in technology, McGrann installed both the first private telephone exchange in the state of Pennsylvania and a recording studio in his home, where he recorded his original arrangements for band and solo compositions for brass instruments. McGrann was married to Blanche E. Hebb McGrann (ca.1881-1961), with whom they had one son, John McGrann. Frank McGrann died in Lancaster, PA on January 15, 1962.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Acquisition Source:
John McGrann
Acquisition Method:
Gift
Related Materials:
See also Frank McGrann Collection at the University of Maryland: https://archives.lib.umd.edu/repositories/4/resources/328.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Correspondence and Personal Papers, 1906-2004],
[
Series 2: Photographs, 1910-1987],
[
Series 3: Scores and Published Music, 1910-1934],
[
Series 4: Sound Recordings, ca. 1940-1948],
[
Series 5: Sousa and Band Ephemera, undated],
[
All]
- Series 1: Correspondence and Personal Papers, 1906-2004
- Consists of correspondence between Frank McGrann and band directors including Herbert L. Clarke, Arthur Pryor, Frank Simon, and others; as well as programs, honorary membership cards, and personal papers, documenting McGrann's work with American wind bands. Also contains materials collected by Frank McGrann's son, John E. McGrann. Materials are arranged by recipient and chronologically therein.
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Correspondence and Programs - Herbert L Clarke, 1907-1945
- Folder 2: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings Regarding Herbert L Clarke, Undated
- Folder 3: Correspondence and Programs - Herbert L Clarke, 1936
- Folder 4: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings - Herbert L Clarke, 1937
- Folder 5: Correspondence, Programs, and Newspaper Clippings - Herbert L Clarke, 1938
- Folder 6: Correspondence, Programs, and Newspaper Clippings - Herbert L Clarke, 1939
- Folder 7: Correspondence, Programs, and Newspaper Clippings - Herbert L Clarke, 1940
- Folder 8: Correspondence, Programs, and Newspaper Clippings - Herbert L Clarke, 1941
- Folder 9: Correspondence, Programs, and Newspaper Clippings - Herbert L Clarke, 1042
- Folder 10: Correspondence and Programs - Herbert L Clarke, 1943
- Folder 11: Correspondence and Programs - Herbert L Clarke, 1944
- Folder 12: Correspondence - Herbert L Clarke, 1946
- Folder 13: Correspondence - Ralph Covey regarding "Frost Incident" with Sousa Band, 1910-1911
- Folder 14: Correspondence, Newspaper Clippings, and Photographs Regarding Sousa, 1911-1940
- Folder 15: Correspondence - Frank H Gillum, 1927-1942
- Folder 16: Correspondence - Frank Holton and Associates, 1934-1942
- Folder 17: Correspondence - John Perfetto, 1935-1944
- Folder 18: Correspondence - Robert E Clarke - Marine Band, 1936-1943
- Folder 19: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings - Atha J Garing, 1936-1945
- Folder 20: Correspondence - Frank Simon (1 of 2), 1936-1959
- Folder 21: Correspondence - Frank Simon (2 of 2), 1944-1945
- Folder 22: Correspondence and "American Symphony Orchestra" Schedule - "Peter", 1937-1944
- Folder 23: Correspondence - Marine Band, 1937-1945
- Folder 24: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings - Wilbur Kiefer, 1937-1945
- Folder 25: Correspondence - Several Recipients and Senders, 1937-1952
- Folder 26: Correspondence and Articles - The Goldman Band, Edwin and Richard Franko Goldman, 1938-1945
- Folder 27: Correspondence - Albert Knecht and Pennsylvania Bandmaster's Association, 1939-1945
- Folder 28: Correspondence - Peter Buys: Hagerstown Band, 1939-1945
- Folder 29: Correspondence and Photographs - Sam Harris and Ed Williams, 1940
- Folder 30: Correspondence, Programs, and Photograph - Henry Fillmore, 1940-1945
- Folder 31: Correspondence - Simone Mantia, 1940-1948
- Folder 32: Correspondence and Newsletter - Pennsylvania Bandmasters Association, 1941-1945
- Folder 33: Correspondence and Articles - Curtis H Larkin, 1943-1945
- Folder 34: Correspondence and Programs - Army Air Force Band, 1944-1945
- Folder 35: Correspondence and Programs - Navy Band, 1945 - 1946
- Folder 36: Book - "Pigs is Pigs" by Ellis Parker Butler - Signed by Herbert L Clarke, 1906
- Folder 37: Programs, 1936-1949
- Folder 38: Honorary Membership Cards, 1942-1952
- Folder 39: Sousa Band Roster, 2004
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Correspondence and Programs - Herbert L Clarke, 1935
- Folder 2: Correspondence - Herbert L Clarke (1 of 2), 1945
- Folder 3: Correspondence - Herbert L Clarke (2 of 2), 1945
- Folder 4: Correspondence - Herbert L Clarke, 1947
- Folder 5: Correspondence, Programs, and Photographs from Herbert L Clarke Memorial Ceremony, 1947
- Folder 6: Correspondence - Eugene Labarre (1 of 2), 1940-1946
- Folder 7: Correspondence - Eugene Labarre (2 of 2), 1943-1945
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Clarke Family History Sent to Frank McGrann, 1963-1947
- Folder 2: Correspondence and Records Regarding Donations and Transfers - Franklin nd Marshall College and University of Maryland, 1961-1987
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Correspondence and Personal Papers, 1906-2004],
[
Series 2: Photographs, 1910-1987],
[
Series 3: Scores and Published Music, 1910-1934],
[
Series 4: Sound Recordings, ca. 1940-1948],
[
Series 5: Sousa and Band Ephemera, undated],
[
All]
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