Pan American Band Instrument Company

Pan American Band Instrument Company was a musical instrument manufacturer in Elkhart, Indiana. Elkhart has been known as "The Musical Instrument Capital of the World".

History

A Conn 'Pan American' alto saxophone, manufactured circa 1948. This saxophone has a similar body to a Conn 6M and keywork which is reminiscent of a Conn New Wonder Series 1 and 2

The company was founded in 1917 by Carl Dimond Greenleaf, who was president of C.G. Conn, another musical instrument company, He was born in Wauseon, Ohio on July 27, 1876 and died Elkhart July 10, 1959. Shortly after 1928, the company was absorbed by Conn. In 1937 Conn began using the Pan American trademark on a line of instruments until 1955. The "Cavalier" trademark was also used by Pan American.

References

• Elkhart city directories (available Elkhart Public Library)
• New Grove Music Dictionary ("Conn")
• McMakin, Dean "Musical Instrument Manufacturing in Elkhart, Indiana" (unpublished typescript, 1987, available at Elkhart Public Library)

NOTE: This section contains errors in the dates provided. It states, "The company was founded in 1926..." This is clearly erroneous, as I own a Pan American Alto Sax dated Sept 14, 1915 & have seen several others dated Dec 8, 1914.

NOTE: Instrument manufacturers are required by patent law to acknowledge the patents they used in the manufacture of their instruments. Every Pan American Saxophone will reference the 1914 or 1915 patent, yet no Pan American Saxophone was manufactured prior to 1926 (the date the manufacturer was founded)

NOTE: Founding date ( 1917 ) ref. online page ( http://people.usd.edu/~mbanks/CONN12.html) promoting Conn Co Executive. Source disagrees with previous research I have done that Pan American had been founded earlier under independent ownership and was sold to Conn in the 20's. I will post the reference as soon as I find it again.