Philip C. Hayden was the primary force in organizing the Music Supervisors National Conference, later the Music Educators National Conference (MENC

MENC: The National Association for Music Education

MENC: The National Association for Music Education is an organization of American music educators dedicated to advancing and preserving music education and as part of the core curriculum of schools in the United States...

). He was appointed the first supervisor of music in Quincy, Illinois

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...

 in 1888. In 1900 the administration decided that a capitol fund was necessary and eliminated the music supervisor position in the system. For this reason he moved to Keokuk, Iowa

Keokuk, Iowa

Keokuk is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa and one of the county seats of Lee County. The other county seat is Fort Madison. The population was 11,427 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Sauk Chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park...

to take the position of music supervisor. Hayden founded The School Music Monthly in 1900. In 1904, it became the official publication of National Education Association's Department of Music Education. The periodical was dedicated to a broad spectrum of issues dealing with public school music education. Hayden was editor of this publication for many years and was a frequent contributor.

The Beginnings of the MSNC

The beginning of the MENC was an invitation by Hayden to come together in Keokuk and observe his work there. The invitation resulted from the cancellation of the 1906 meeting of the National Education Association because of the San Francisco earthquake. The second meeting of the new group was held in Indianapolis in 1909, but a constitution was not adopted until 1910 in Cincinnati, where the group officially became the Music Supervisors National Conference. The appearance of the organization at a time when it could contribute to the expansion of American society in the second and third decades of the twentieth century was due to the foresight of P.C. Hayden.