Theodore Presser is remembered not only as the founder of a publishing firm and the creator of The Etude Music Magazine, but also for his generosity to the field of music. His story and his vision for the establishment of The Presser Foundation is both fascinating and inspiring. 

Born July 3, 1848, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mr. Presser played musical instruments such as guitar and piano but received no formal music instruction. After losing his father at the age of 10, he was forced to postpone his pursuit of education. At 16, he began selling tickets for the Strokosch Opera Company in one of Pittsburgh’s music stores. His efforts to improve the store’s operations impressed the owners and he rose to become a music clerk and then manager of the sheet music department. 

At that point, Mr. Presser was determined to make music his life’s work. He began studying music at Mt. Union College (OH) in 1869 before becoming an instructor at various Ohio universities and conservatories. He then returned for a year of study at the New England Conservatory. Although he entered as a student, evidence shows that Mr. Presser was paid to instruct his fellow classmates in sight-singing, a skill at which he excelled. After his year of study, he refused an offer to remain on the faculty and returned to Ohio to found the Department of Music at Ohio Wesleyan University. He then saved enough money to attend the Leipzig Conservatory in Germany, where he studied for two years under notable pianists and composers. 

Upon his return from Europe, Mr. Presser became Director of Music at Hollins College in Virginia. With only $250.00, he began publication of The Etude Music Magazine and issued only 2,000 copies of the first edition. In 1884, Mr. Presser moved to Philadelphia, where The Etude was printed, as it became more and more successful. Teachers who did not have the opportunity to attend domestic or European conservatories were delighted to find a source of information in this inexpensive monthly magazine. They wrote to The Etude for copies of the music, and Mr. Presser inevitably became a music dealer-publisher. By December 1918, subscriptions totaled 217,805. The growing popularity of The Etude magazine opened the door for Mr. Presser to establish a music-publishing firm. His initial goal was to supply subscribers to the magazine with access to music for their students, since many teachers lived in remote areas without close access to a music store. Thus, he pioneered mail-order sales of music, and he invented a system of supplying teachers with stocks of music on approval that they could sell to their students. 

An astute businessman, Mr. Presser never forgot his humble beginnings, his struggle as a music teacher, and the problems confronting members of his early profession. In 1906, he established his “Home for Retired Music Teachers” in Philadelphia. The Home provided support and a residence for retired teachers of limited means who made a profound contribution to the field of music. The Presser Foundation continues to carry out this benevolent objective through its Assistance to Music Teachers program. In 1917, Mr. Presser took steps to perpetuate his philanthropy by creating The Presser Foundation through several Deeds of Trust and through his Will to support musical education and musical philanthropy. The Foundation was officially incorporated in 1939 following Mr. Presser’s death in 1925.