Says Alabama1
Has State Song
Of Its Own
,In an exchange the past wfek came
be comment that Alabama has no state
*ng. Miss Emma McCarthy, president
if, the Federation of Music clubs says
■fabnma has a song and has the follow
ing to say :
f In a rceent issue of The Age-Herald
hi your columns appears! an article
copied from the Mobile Register, which
stated that it was to l>e deplored that
Alabama did not have a state song and
urging composers of the state to write
one.
I As president of the Alabama Federa
ion of Music clubs I do not feel that
1 can allow that statement to go uti
corrected. Alabama has a state song.
In 1917 Mrs. Victor Hanson of
Birmingham, then president of the
State Federation of Music clubs,
offered a prize to the composers
in Alabama who would furnish
musical setting to the j*>em “Alabama."
written by Julia Tutwiler. In 191S at
the convention of the music clubs held
in Gadsden, that prize was won by Mrs.
Edna Gockel Gusson of Birmingham.
Mrs. Gussen’s "Alabama'** has been
adopted as the official state song of the
federation and by other similar organi
sations, I believe. At the biennial con
vention of the National Federation of
Music clubs held recently in Asheville.
N. C., Alabama delegates had the pleas
ure and opportunity of singing our
state song on several occasions.
On Alabama day the rausci clubs of
Alabama celebrated that day pretty
generally over the state and or. every
program “Alabama’’ was sung.
It would be very wise for the Rotary.
