2022 Jazz 75th Anniversary Reunion Program

INTRODUCTION LETTERS
GERARD
HUDSPETH
Mayor, City of Denton
Greetings
and welcome
back to Denton!
On behalf of the City, it’s my
pleasure to welcome you.
It may have changed since you
last visited.
When the Jazz Studies
degree began at North Texas
State Teachers College, 21,000
people called Denton home.
That number now approaches
140,000. Denton County’s
population of about 906,000
is included in the Dallas Fort
Worth metroplex – the fourth
largest metropolitan area with
a population approaching 8
million residents. The numbers
themselves are not important
except that they indicate vibrant
communities where people
want to live, work, study and
where opportunities abound
for musicians to perform and
where music lovers can include
themselves in the audience.
What has not changed about
Denton is that everywhere
you look, you see markers of
the influence of music from
the University of North Texas
College of Music. Nearly every
day Dentonites witness alumni,
students, faculty and staff of
UNT Jazz performing in a club or
festival or on a campus stage.
Denton ranked 1st in the nation
as a best college town for music
majors by MusicSchoolCentral.
com.
From its beginnings on the
Denton Square 131 years ago
to another year of record
attendance of more than 44,500,
music from the University
of North Texas continues to
be a pillar of our community
showcasing young (and not so
young) musicians across the City
and world.
We are often ranked highly
where quality of life is indicated,
and proudly so - but - it’s the
people that make it a great
place.
Please come back often.
Everyone is welcome.
Sincerely,
Gerard Hudspeth
Mayor, City of Denton
4
University of North Texas College of Music