Charles A. Zimmerman

Who was Charles A. Zimmerman?

Charles A. Zimmermann was an American composer of marches and popular music. A graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, he was appointed bandmaster at the United States Naval Academy in 1887 at the age of 26. He served as the Academy's bandmaster until his death from a brain hemorrhage in 1916. He is buried at the Naval Academy cemetery.

Zimmerman composed his most famous march, "Anchors Aweigh", in 1906 when he was a Lieutenant in the United States Navy. The lyrics were written by Alfred Hart Miles, a midshipman. The march was intended from the beginning to serve as a rousing tune for football games. The familiar strain is actually the trio of the larger work. Zimmerman also composed numerous songs for the 1902 stage play The Wizard of Oz.