Albert O. Davis

American music educator and composer, born on April 9, 1920 in Cleveland, Ohio, and died 16 October 2004. A former music educator, he arranged for the Arizona State Marching Band, the Air Force North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) Band, and the Ohio State University Marching Band. Davis wrote numerous musical comedies, band arrangements, and original band compositions during his career. He was one of the developers of the First Division Band Method, used widely in public schools since 1963. There are over 400 works in print under his own name and the pseudonym Eric Hanson. He attended Western Reserve University, Cleveland Institute of Music and graduated from Arizona State College with a BA in education in 1943, completing his Master's Degree in 1951. His thirty-nine year career as a music educator began as a Band Director in Tombstone, AZ in 1943 and culminated with his retirement from Phoenix College in 1982 where he had served as Department Chair from 1961-1982. As a multi-talented musician, his accomplishments extended well beyond his years as a teacher. Beginning in 1953 with the publishing of his first musical compostion for band, "Desert Star," he went on to have over 600 Band Compositions published. He was a pioneer in developing precision marching football half-time shows. he wrote compostions for the "Belwin First Division Series" which was the outstanding elementary educational series for more than 30 years.