The public were moved by Key's "soul-stirring" comments, according to John Philip Sousa in 1931. As a result, on March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover formally designated "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the national anthem of the United States of America. "I am very much pleased that the people have recognized the song as suitable for our country and I hope they will continue to show their approval by frequent singing of it," Sousa said. He wrote the song while serving as bandmaster of the U.S. Marine Band in Washington, D.C. The poem was written by American poet and author Francis Scott Key while he was imprisoned on board a British ship during the War of 1812. The song was first performed at a military ball on February 23, 1815. It has since become an iconic piece of American music and literature. Key had written the poem after watching the firing of four guns from the British vessel _Liberty_, which was bombarding Fort McHenry during the war. The poem became popular across the nation following its publication in _The Baltimore Sun_ on September 14, 1814. In addition, it was adopted as the official anthem of the Federal Government of the United States on March 3, 1931. Since then, it has been sung at every presidential inauguration except those of William Henry Harrison (who died before taking office) and Lyndon B. Johnson (who declined to be sworn in).