Dudley Keith Feltham was born in Totten, Hampshire, England, in 1910 and educated at King Edward VI School, Southampton, England.  He was a graduate of the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall, London, where he received two degrees, as a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music and as an Associate of the Royal College of Music.

The first instrument Col Feltham mastered was the violin, an instrument rarely used in military bands.  Eventually, he was schooled in, mastered, and taught virtually every instrument.

Feltham served in the British Army from 1927 to 1949 as a class one warrant officer, serving most of his career as the bandmaster, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry regiment.  Feltham’s band was the first Allied military band to arrive on the Normandy beaches just two weeks after the D-Day landings in June 1944.

Following his retirement from the British Army at the age of 39, he immigrated to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania. Col. Feltham served as Director of Music at Valley Forge Military Academy and Junior College for 27 years, retiring from the Forge in 1976.

In remarks at Col. Feltham’s retirement, Maj. Gen. Milton H. Medenbach, Superintendent Emeritus, spoke of Feltham’s impact. 

“Fortunate, indeed, were the young men who came under Keith Feltham’s tutelage, for, in him, they found not only a gifted musician but a man with an extraordinary sense of fitness, a very positive set of personal standards, a passion for excellence, a refreshingly direct approach, an undeviating sense of right and wrong, a ready ear, an abundance of compassion, and, thank God, a well-developed sense of humor! He has the ability to pass on these attributes and, if there be a young man who has failed to benefit in some way from the mere association with Keith Feltham – he is an insensate clod, indeed! In my travels about the world, I have yet to meet an ex-cadet bandsman who does not pay tribute to Keith Feltham, as a contributor to his personal success.”

Upon his retirement from Valley Forge, Feltham relocated to Malvern, PA where he worked part-time at the Insurance Institutes.

On May 19, 1990, at the annual Alumni Homecoming Parade and Concert, Col. Feltham was inducted as an honorary alumnus of Valley Forge Military Academy.  His citation reads:

“The honorary alumnus award was established to recognize an individual who is not an alumnus but has provided outstanding service to Valley Forge Military Academy and Junior College in support of its high standards, traditions, and goals. 

From 1949 to 1976, Col. Feltham served Valley Forge as Band Director and Director of Music.  His 27 years of service were characterized by his gifted ability to mold young musicians into performing bands of near professionalism. , Col. Feltham’s outstanding musical accomplishments and his inspirational talent and personal attention, which he has given to so many Band cadets, have earned him the title “The Music Man of Valley Forge.” 

In recognition of his meritorious and dedicated service to our institution, we are pleased to confer upon Colonel D. Keith Feltham the status of Honorary Alumnus, class of 1990, with all honors rights and privileges belonging thereto.”

Just weeks after his induction, Col. D. Keith Feltham passed away unexpectedly on July 31, 1990, at the age of 80.  He and his wife, Sydney, are buried at the Chapel of St. Cornelius the Centurion on the Valley Forge Military Academy campus in Wayne, PA.

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