“The Pathfinder of Panama” (1915)

One of twelve marches Sousa composed for various expositions or fairs, “The Pathfinder of Panama” was dedicated to the Panama Canal and the Panama-Pacific Exposition held in San Francisco in 1915. Sousa’s Band played a nine-week engagement at the exposition. The march was composed at the request of Walter Anthony, a reporter for the San Francisco Call. The Panama Canal was the pathfinder of Sousa’s title; it shortened the ocean voyage between San Francisco and New York by 8,000 miles.

Paul E. Bierley, The Works of John Philip Sousa (Westerville, Ohio: Integrity Press, 1984), 43. Used by permission.