Monroe A. Althouse (May 26, 1853 – October 12, 1924) was a composer and bandmaster best known for his parade marches. He was born in

Centre Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania Centre Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The population was 4,140 at the 2020 census. It is in Schuylkill Valley School District. History Belleman's Union Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1 ...

and spent his youth working on the family farm. He learned to play the violin, trombone, and baritone as he toured with

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years in ...

during his teens. After performing with several local bands, orchestras, and theater ensembles near

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Phila ...

, he organized the pit orchestra for the

Rajah Theater ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested fr ...

and was selected to lead the Ringgold Band. He became friends with

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to di ...

and the two composers stayed in contact as each toured the country. Althouse co-founded the James S. Althouse & Co. music publisher. He retired from conducting in 1922 due to poor health. After three years of illness, he died in Reading on October 12, 1924. Five volumes of the '' Heritage of the March'' series were dedicated to his compositions.

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* 1853 births 1924 deaths American male composers American composers People from Berks County, Pennsylvania Musicians from Pennsylvania {{US-composer-19thC-stub