New York Times editorial, Mrs. Thurber was still making her case that "At no time more than the present has the necessity for a national conservatory of music been so evident... the National Conservatory of Music, which was founded in 1885 and has been in existence for over 40 years, is the only institution of its kind which in scope and in organization is in conformity with the old established models... From its inception the plan... has been to establish a national conservatory of music in Washington with branches... " The stock market crash of 1929 and subsequent Great Depression led to loss of funds from many philanthropic sources and effectively the end of the Conservatory. There is no record of operations after 1930, though based on a letter from President Roosevelt to Thurber in 1935, it appears she continued to solicit federal funding for the conservatory. Legacy Musically, the National Conservatory of Music of America was a brief but bright light in the cultural life of the United States. It aimed to provide affordable musical education for all-comers, including the physically handicapped and African Americans. Its prestige was greatly enhanced by the directorship of Dvořák, and it offered a yearly prize in the area of "American music," a competition that led to the recognition of a number of young composers from the United States. Among the faculty and administrators associated with the conservatory were: Students that attended the conservatory included: Further reading Cappaert, Leroy. (1951) Government and Music: a study of the Federal Music Project (1935-1941). MSc. University of Wisconsin Rubin, Emanuel. (1997) "Jeanette Meyer Thurber (1850-1946): Music for a Democracy". In Ralph P. Locke & Cyrilla Barr (ed.). Cultivating Music in America: Women Patrons and Activists Since 1860. University of California Press. pp. 134-163. Notes and references Universities and colleges in New York City Music schools in New York City Performing arts education in the United States Educational institutions established in 1885 Educational institutions disestablished in 1952 1885 establishments in New York (state) 1952 disestablishments in New York (state)