John Philip Sousa, the "March King of America," wrote a Texas march that is gaining recognition after years of neglect.

In October 1928, as part of his Golden Jubilee tour, Sousa and his band held two concerts in Denton at the College of Industrial Arts (C.I.A.), the original name of Texas Woman's University. After one performance, a group of students led by Marion Benson and Margaret Marable presented the composer with a substantial petition asking him to write a march for them. Sousa beamed one of his seldom-seen smiles and replied, "It is impossible to resist the request of 1,700 charming Texas girls, and if you will send me some of your college songs, I will incorporate them into a march."

It is not known whether the students failed to send Sousa the songs or the bandleader decided against using them; nevertheless, he proceeded to compose a march, whose score bore the title Daughters of Denton. Later, someone (the handwriting wasn't Sousa's) scratched out Denton and wrote Texas. Though this first march was never published (and C.I.A. never received a copy of it), its story hadn't ended.

Sousa, in his mid-70s, had not planned to tour in 1929. In fact, the C.I.A. campus newspaper, The Lass-O, had speculated that the composer's 1928 tour would be his last. But when Minnesota utilities magnate Wilbur B. Foshay asked Sousa to play for an extravagant four-day celebration in Minneapolis, the bandmaster agreed and decided to make the appearance part of a longer tour. The Minneapolis event would dedicate a new monument, fashioned after the Washington Monument and named for Foshay. Perhaps thinking he didn't have enough time to compose a new march for Foshay, Sousa used the Denton march in Minneapolis, eventually renaming it the Foshay Tower Washington Memorial March. (It was never published.) Then he composed and published another march, also titled Daughters of Texas. According to Sousa aficionados who have heard both marches, this second march was superior to the first. C.I.A. received a piano score of the newer march and never knew of Sousa's secret switch.

In recent years, Harold R. Gore of Denton has published a new arrangement of this fine march. In 1995, on a visit to several Texas cities, the U.S. Coast Guard Band played Daughters of Texas as part of its programs. Other musical groups, including the Austin Symphonic Band and the Space City Community Band of Houston, have also begun playing this thrilling and spirited composition.

- Rebecca B. Lee, Houston