Albertus "Bert" Meyers Papers

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: AB-01

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains Albertus Meyers’s correspondence during his time as conductor of the Allentown Band (1926-1976). The bulk of the collection contains letters, both hand-written and typed, either written by or received by Meyers between 1925 and 1978. The collection includes correspondence from such notable individuals as Helen Sousa Abert, Bob Hoe, Paul E. Bierley, Lucien Cailliet, Merle Evans, and Skitch Henderson. Subjects referenced in the collection include John Philip Sousa, Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus, The Circus World Museum, Karl King, Paul Lavalle, and the United States Marine Band.

Dates

Majority of material found within 1928 - 1978

Creator

Meyers, Bert, approximately 1890- (Person)

Biographical / Historical

Albertus "Bert" Meyers (1890-1979) was the conductor of the Allentown Band in Allentown, Pennsylvania from 1926 until 1976. He was born in Richlandtown, Pennsylvania on September 7, 1890, and at the age of 7, he began to take music lessons from his father, who was a member of the Allentown Band. Meyers played both french horn and trumpet in the Allentown Symphony Orchestra beginning in 1914 and continuing through the 1920s. In 1921, he played french horn with Liberati’s Band, later going on to play cornet with Arthur Pryor’s Band in 1923, and Patrick Conway’s Band in 1924. Meyers was also a featured cornet soloist with John Philip Sousa’s band on their 1925 tour, and he is considered the last person to talk with Sousa before Sousa’s sudden death in 1932. Meyers was married to Mary Bowers for 69 years (1910-1979), and they had two children together.

In 1926, Meyers was elected conductor and business manager of the Allentown Band, which he conducted until 1976. During his fifty-year tenure as conductor, the Allentown Band distributed eight recordings on the WFB label, and four recordings in Robert Hoe’s “Heritage of the March” series. In this time, Meyers also served, most notably, as a guest conductor for the U.S. Marine Band, the U.S. Navy Band, the U.S. Army Band, and the U.S. Military Academy Band at West Point. Meyers was also the director of instrumental music at Allentown High School from 1940 to 1956, and the band director at Muhlenberg College from 1957 to 1965. Meyers was a member of the American Bandmasters Association, Pennsylvania Bandmasters Association, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, and the select Sousa Band Fraternal Society. In 1974, Allentown’s Eighth Street Bridge was renamed “The Albertus L. Meyers Bridge” in recognition of his dedication to the Allentown music community.