HISTORY
> From Boom to Bust to Boom - The Depression/WWII: 1922-1945
Written By Brandon Adamczyk
During the early
part of the 20’s, ROTC enrollment was at an all time high. This
meant that 'Uncle Sam' would pay for more uniforms for the marching band.
'Uncle Sam' bought 40 uniforms, and this purchase solidified a new relationship
between the music program and the ROTC.
The SUMB wasn’t
just listening to Jazz and going to Speakeasies during the 20’s.
They made their first trip to New York City in 1921. The band took up
a collection during home games that year to pay for the trip, allowing
25 men (since no women were in the band), one goat and one cannon to go
to the Big Apple cheer on Syracuse against Dartmouth. The next year another
band of 25 (no word on the goat) went again to NYC to meet Penn State
on the Polo grounds. The uniforms changed for the setting…with white
trousers, blue sweaters, and orange paper class hats.
In 1923, around 35
boys went for a third time to meet the Panthers of Pittsburgh at the home
of the babe, Yankee Stadium. Prior to the trip to the Bronx, the band
broke away from the ROTC program, and became an offshoot of the athletic
department, and was classified as a minor sports activity.
Just after Valentine’s
Day in 1924, the new department was complete, the band got a budget from
the Athletic Office and the Administration. Just in time for the new money,
Professor Tilroe came back to become Dean Tilroe. Marvin A. Fairbanks
took over for the Dean as Director, and by the start of school in 1926,
enrollment in the band had blossomed into around 60 members.
The wheels of the
bus went ‘round and ‘round for the SUMB during this time,
with trips to West Point, yet another trip to NYC (maybe they couldn’t
get enough of street vendor hotdogs?), and Penn State, among others.
Paul Tucker took the band onto the airwaves in 1929, playing for the newfangled
radio station in town, WSYR.
In 1930, the band
had grown to about 80 members, and was too big for Crouse College to handle.
They brought in Elvin Freeman, the first paid Band Director. Freeman took
the band back onto the air at WSYR, and that broadcast is the first known
recording of the band.
But it was not all
good news. By 1932, the university was feeling the effects of the Great
Depression, and had no money for the band. With the uniforms tattered,
the students didn’t give up, and tapped alumni of the program for
financial support. They got their new uniforms, but the depression still
took its toll.
From about 1933 to
1937, the marching band would sometimes combine with the ROTC band to
put out about 100 men. The University band itself had about 65. Around
this time, the band was known for its intricate formations and goose-stepping
drum majors.
The depression years
were a time of fast-paced change for the SUMB. Arthur Phoenix became Band
Director, and conducted his first concert on May 6, 1938. Phoenix’s
tenure marked a period of decline for the band, and he faced criticism
on a number of fronts.
The band was criticized
for unharmonious playing and poor taste. The Syracuse band formed the
famous Cornell “C” at the football game as an affront to their
opponent. Cornell didn’t seem to be phased by this stunt, and proceeded
to wipe the field with the SUMB. The University band also played the tacky
“Alexander’s Ragtime Band” during Phoenix’s time
as director.
With interest in
the band reaching an all time low, and facing daily attacks from the outside,
Phoenix decided to reach a compromise with the ROTC program. In September
1939, it was decided that Phoenix would arrange the music, and the ROTC
would make the drill.
Phoenix reaped the
benefits of this relationship on October 5, 1940, when a “Percussion
Feature” first debuted to the cheers of the crowd. The crowds went
back to cheering SU against Northwestern after halftime. Further seeking
to bolster the band’s presence, Phoenix invited co-eds to join the
Concert Band. March 16, 1941 marked the first performance of the mixed
gender band.
The war years also
took their toll on the band, as it went through three directors in four
years. Richard Madden was the most first, introducing faster cadences,
different music, and band charts for easier navigation on the field.
With most men shipped
out to war, the ladies held down the SUMB fort at home. The ladies only
had three performances, as the football season was cancelled due to the
war effort. In 1944 John Schueler took the helm of the band, and 10 majorettes
made their debut on September 23. Even though enrollment was up, at around
85, Herbert Harp was appointed director the very next year.
1945 was also the
year of the first “Orange Girl”. Jessie Anne Harp (no relation)
became the fist majorette/orange girl. The tradition set by Jessie is
one of the oldest and best loved traditions, with some of the best twirlers
passing the baton down to the next girl, all the way down to the current
Orange Girl, Melissa Gaffney.
To finish off the
war years, Director Harp left the SUMB in 1946, and Dr. Harwood Simmons
was made the new director. The band department split from the ROTC, and
found a permanent home in the School of Music.
The program saw ups, downs, and the first Orange Girl during the Depression
years, and headed up from there.
The History
of the Syracuse University Band Program
Alumni