ARTHUR C. BECKER
FOUNDING DEAN, SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Arthur C. Becker founded DePaul’s School of Music in 1918 in a small room with 32 students. He oversaw the program’s growth to national prominence as dean of the school until his retirement in 1966. In the 1930s, as DePaul’s student population grew and the need to bring students together at intercollegiate sports’ events intensified, Becker wrote the music for the school’s official Fight Song, which is still performed today. He also was the organist, choirmaster and liturgical music director at St. Vincent de Paul Church for five decades, giving monthly organ recitals that typically ended with striking improvisations on liturgical themes.
