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Thomas Knox (1937-2004)

Thomas Knox was born in Danville, Ill., and began studying music at age 10. He heard “The President’s Own” on tour and decided that he wanted to play in the band. He studied trumpet with Adolph “Bud” Herseth, principal trumpet with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and attended school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

He joined the Marine Band in 1961 as a trumpet player and moved to the arranging staff in 1966. Three years later he was appointed chief arranger and continued to compose and arrange for the Marine Band until his retirement in 1985. Some of his more notable compositions include “God of Our Fathers,” commissioned for President Ronald Reagan’s first inauguration, and American Pageant, which was commissioned for President Richard Nixon’s first inauguration. Knox arranged or composed over 300 hundred pieces, many of which are still played by the Marine Band and bands across America.