John Philip Sousa for Monty Python's Flying Circus), "The Thunderer" and "The Washington Post". Sousa began his career playing violin and studying music theory and composition under John Esputa and George Felix Benkert. His father enlisted him in the United States Marine Band as an apprentice in 1868. After departing the band in 1875, Sousa learned to conduct. From 1880 until his death, he focused exclusively on conducting and the writing of music. He eventually rejoined the Marine Band and served there for 12 years as director. On leaving the Marine Band, Sousa organized his own band. Sousa aided in the development of
John Philip Sousa Bridge Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee restored the $325,000 appropriation on June 5. The full Senate adopted the subcommittee's recommendation on June 8. But the conference committee stripped the appropriation from the final bill. The new bridge received its name when the Southeast Citizens Association (led by member Orrin J. Davy) asked that the bridge be named for the Sousa (the "March King"), who died in 1932. Senator Royal S. Copeland (D-New York) introduced a resolution (S. 2651) on June 15, 1937, ordering the bridge to be named after famed composer, conductor, and D.C. native John Philip Sousa. The bill