W. Francis McBeth

Born on March 9, 1933, in Ropesville, Texas, – January 6, 2012. Composer, Conductor, and Music Educator. He was the Trustees’ Distinguished University Professor and resident composer at Ouachita Baptist University (OBU) in Arkadelphia (Clark County) in 1957 , where he served as chair of the department of Music Theory and Composition, retiring in 1996. McBeth’s compositions include works for all media, but were influential in the development of the literature for wind symphony.