John T. Fesperman

John T. Fesperman (January 12, 1925 Charlotte, NC, US – June 2, 2001 Mitchellville, MD, US) was an American conductor, organist and author of several books on organs. From 1965 to 1995 he worked at the Division of Musical Instruments at the National Museum of History and Technology, part of the Smithsonian Institution. He and Flentrop co-authored a paper on The Organs of Mexico City Cathedral, published by the Smithsonian in 1986.

Fesperman began teaching music at Alabama College in Montevallo, Alabama, He then moved to Boston, where he taught organ at the New England Conservatory and was active both concertizing and recording several organ and vocal works, including Masses.

In 1965, he moved to the National Museum of History and Technology (Smithsonian), staying with that institution in various capacities for the next thirty years. He also consulted in the building and installation of the new Pohick Episcopal Church organ in Lorton, Virginia. He retired from the Smithsonian in 1995, and died at 76 on June 2, 2001. In his 1970 book A Snetzler chamber organ of 1761, he took a positive view of "residence organs" installed in private residences, which were popular in the 18th century and revived in the United States in the mid-1950s. He supported mechanical stop-action, praising it for simplicity of engineering and advantages it gave the player.