Wyoming (song)


"Wyoming" is the state song of Wyoming. Judge Charles Edwin Winter wrote the words during the summer of 1903, and Earle R. Clemens wrote music to it soon thereafter. They copyrighted the song in 1913 and the Wyoming Publishing Company in Casper published it that same year and the song became the unofficial Wyoming state song. Clemens was a newspaper editor for the Grand Encampment Herald, the newspaper of Grand Encampment, Wyoming.
In 1920, George Edwin Knapp composed a new melody for Judge Winter's poem. He copyrighted and published it through Richter Music Company of Casper. The song was adopted as the official state song on February 15, 1955. Knapp — a baritone singer and choral conductor — was professor of voice and director of the music department
University of Wyoming from 1920 to 1930.

History

Governor Fenimore Chatterton has been credited as the first to announce "Wyoming" as the official state song, during a 1903 convention in Sheridan of the State Industrial Association. The song was later endorsed as the official song by the state press association, state industrial convention, and the state university, then Wyoming State University.

Extant published versions