History

In September 1934, Remsen B. Ogilby, the president (and carillonneur) of Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, invited all carillonneurs from the United States and Canada, as well as others interested in the carillon, to attend a meeting at Trinity College to discuss matters of common interest. About thirty-five people attended, and resolutions were drawn up for a subsequent meeting. This Hartford gathering became known as the First Congress of Carillonneurs in North America.

In September 1936, the Second Congress of Carillonneurs in North America was called at the Houses of Parliament in Ottawa, Canada. At this meeting, The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America was established, with a central organization and a constitution.

In September 1962, The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America was incorporated under the provisions of the Minnesota Non-profit Corporation Act. The bylaws were also adopted at that time. In 1992, for administrative reasons, the state of incorporation was changed; the Guild is now incorporated as a non-profit corporation in, and under the laws of, the state of California.

The GCNA is also recognized as a non-profit organization by the Internal Revenue Service under the provisions of section 501(c)(3) of the tax code.

Past Presidents

Honorary Members

Honorary members are those persons whom the Guild wishes to honor because they have made a significant contribution to the carillon art. Honorary membership is permanent, and may be in addition to some other pre-existing category of membership.

William De Turk

Sally Slade Warner (1932-2009), Carillonneur member 1980-2009

The following honorary members died prior to 1990:
Charles K. Arter, Arthur Baxter, Olive Langton Beddoe, Nellie Lee Bok, Bertram H. Borden, Jerry H. Chambers, Florence S. Marcy Crofut, Mrs. Henry W. DeForest, Dr. C. W. Drury, Dr. Chris Engels, Morris I. Evinger, Roy Fruehauf, W. Dudley Gale III, Frank Cecil Godfrey, Katherine Northcott Graves, Charlotte Nichols Greene, Thomas Hogan Jr., William Verne Joy, Otto Kaap, C. Ellison Kaumeyer, Raymond A. Keldermans, Margaret Stanton Kirshman, Dr. Kamiel Lefévere, Charles J. Livingwood, Sir Ernest MacMillan, Sonia S. Maguire, Frederick C. Mayer, Dr. Carl McFarland, Hon. C. B. McQueston, Dr. Earl V. Moore, Mrs. Horace V. Moses, Staf Nees, Grace Miller Niederlander, Lester A. Nordan, Maj. H. M. Nornabell, Mrs. Clarence E. Pigford, Prof. F. Percival Price, Luther Richman, Dr. Luther Richmond, H. Beale and Mary E. Rollins, William J. Rushton, Parker David Sanders, Very Rev. Francis B. Sayre Jr., Henry P. Schneider, Buford Scott, Edgar W. Stanton, Floyd B. Taylor, Walter F. Tilton.

Other Notable Members

Émilien Allard (1915-1977)
William Gorham Rice (1856-1945), Honorary President
Wendell Westcott (1911-2010)

From the Archives

• Historical List of Carillonneur Examination Requirements
• Historical List of Past GCNA Officers
• Historical List of Music Publications
• Past Hosts of GCNA Congresses
• Past Hosts of WCF Congresses
• Inventory of Historical Audio Recordings