Tri-M Music Honor Society, formerly known as Modern Music Masters, is a high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 and middle school

Middle school

Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...

 music honor society

Honor society

In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America...

. Each school has its own chapter, which is run by the students but supervised by an advisor or sponsor, usually a school teacher. There are approximately 4,500 participating chapters in several countries.

Tri-M was founded in 1936 by Alexander Harley and his wife, Frances. At the time, Alexander Harley was the band director and Music Department Chairman at Maine Township High School East in Park Ridge

Park Ridge, Illinois

-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 37,775 people, 14,219 households, and 10,465 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,374.6 people per square mile . There were 14,646 housing units at an average density of 2,083.8 per square mile...

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. It has been a program of MENC: The National Association for Music Education

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...

since 1983.

History

In 1935, Charles Himmel, Principal of Maine Township High School (Now Maine Township High School East) in Des Plaines/Park Ridge, Illinois approached Music Department Chairman Alexander M. Harley about beginning a music honor society for high school music students. Harley, along with his wife Frances began formulating a plan; they decided that the initiates should be among the finest technical and academic musicians at the high school. The entrance requirements were rigorous. In 1936, they initiated the first members of the "Maine Music Masters." One of the first debates of this organization was whether to refer to themselves as TRI-M or 3M. For almost twenty years this organization worked to promote the values of service to the music program, the school, and the community. They were one of the first school organizations to organize canned food and clothing drives and community concerts at nursing homes, civic organizations, and community events. In one school year, the members of TRI-M presented over 300 concerts.

TRI-M Goes National

In 1952, Maine Township High School Superintendent Harry D. Anderson attended the initiation of TRI-M and felt the organization could have broad appeal to other high schools. He urged Harley to incorporate. With the help of the History Department, TRI-M was incorporated as "Modern Music Masters." Its membership steadily grew and it became an international organization with chapters as far away as Asia and Europe. Harley and his wife traversed the country to start chapters.

TRI-M Becomes a Program of MENC

In 1983, the "Modern Music Masters" officially became a program of the Music Educators National Conference. Its name was changed to the TRI-M Music Honor Society and presently there are over 5200 chapters worldwide. TRI-M continues to promote the ideals of service to the school music program, the school-at-large, and the community.

Alexander Harley died in 1989 and at his funeral, the school flags from the four Maine High Schools, carried by the TRI-M Presidents, were processed in honoring the vision of this man and his vision for music students everywhere. Frances died in 2004.