A Brief History of the Conn Company (1874-present)*

by Margaret Downie Banks, Ph.D.
Senior Curator of Musical Instruments
National Music Museum
Vermillion, South Dakota

© Copyright 1997-2009 by The National Music Museum.
All Rights Reserved.
No portion of this site, including this page and any of the separate pages, may be copied, retransmitted, reposted, duplicated or otherwise used without the express written permission of The National Music Museum.

*Excerpted and updated from Elkhart's Brass Roots: An Exhibition to Commemorate the 150th Anniversary of C. G. Conn's Birth and the 120th Anniversary of the Conn Company by Margaret Downie Banks (Vermillion, South Dakota: The Shrine to Music Museum, 1994).

Contents:

Formative Years (1871-1876)
Conn and Dupont (1876-1879)
Fire of 1883
Factory in Worcester, Massachusetts (1887-1898)
Col. Conn's Journalistic and Political Pursuits (1889-1897)
New York City Retail Store (1897-1902)
"Box of Condensed Harmonies: Conn's Wonder Portable Folding Reed Organ (1900-1910)"
The Union Label (1906-1916)
Fire of 1910
Sale of Company in 1915
Carl Dimond Greenleaf Era (1915-1959)
Roaring 'Twenties Saxophones
Late 'Twenties Diversification
Origins of National School Band Movement (1923)
Experimental Laboratory (1928-1940)
The War Years (1942-1946)
Division of Research, Development and Design (1940-1960)
Conn Pianos (1940-1969)
Paul Gazlay Era (1949-1958)
Leland B. Greenleaf Era (1958-1969)
MacMillan Era (1969-1980)
Daniel Henkin Era (1980-1985)
United Musical Instruments Era (1985-2003)
Conn-Selmer (2003-present)
Selected Bibliography
Book-in-Progress
Musical Instruments and Accessories by Conn
Are You a Former Conn Employee?
Wanted: Information about Conn Instruments

Contact Information:

Dr. Margaret Downie Banks
Senior Curator of Musical Instruments
National Music Museum
The University of South Dakota
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion SD 57069-2390

E-mail: Margaret.Banks@usd.edu

---

Go to Margaret Banks' Home Page

Go to National Music Museum Website