Pan American Band Instrument Company

Pan American Band Instrument Company was a musical instrument distributing company headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana. Elkhart has been known as "The Musical Instrument Capital of the World".^[1] The company existed between 1917 and ca. 1930, when it was absorbed by its parent company C.G. Conn Ltd.

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, (July 27, 1876, Wauseon, Ohio - July 10, 1959, Elkhart, Indiana) who was president of C.G. Conn. Greenleaf was expanding Conn's production of musical instruments, seeking to develop the amateur and educational markets for musical instruments, and developing retail sales distribution to expand Conn's sales channels beyond their mail-order business. Formation of the new instrument distribution company was the foundation of Conn's effort to establish a retail presence across the United States. Conn would also found the Continental Music retail chain as part of that same effort. During the life of the Pan American company, Conn started using that name for second-line instruments produced by them as well. Use of the Pan American trademark for Conn's second-line instruments continued until 1955. Cavalier and Continental Colonial were other trademarks for second-line instruments sold through Conn's main channels. Conn also provided second-line instruments to other merchandisers who sold them under their own "stencil" brands.

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• McMakin, Dean "Musical Instrument Manufacturing in Elkhart, Indiana" (unpublished typescript, 1987, available at Elkhart Public Library)

1. Elkhart, Indiana, USA