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friday, October 12, 1979
daily nebraskan
page 1 1
Band celebrates 100th year;
boasts several musical firsts
By Mary Louise Knapp
The UNL Band celebrates its 100th an
niversary this week, with concerts, ban
quets and visits from alumni. Gov. Charles
Thone proclaimed Oct. 6-13 UNL Band
Week in honor of the occasion, and Athle
tic Director Bob Devaney presented the
band with a football during last Saturday's
game.
According to Jon Hedges, historian of
Gamma Lambda band fraternity, the band
began as an ROTC unit in October, 1879.
"There is a good chance that we have
the oldest university marching band in the
United States," Hedges said.
When first beginning, the band was
officially considered part of the university,
with a paid director, and for a long time it
was the only spirit group on campus.
"The band was here long before the
football team was," Hedges said. In 1890,
Roscoe Pound, a former drum major,
returned to NU from Harvard, where foot
ball had been popular for some years, and
with the band's support, organized NU's
first football team. The first game, played
against Omaha's YMCA, was in 1890.
The band performed its first half-time
show in 1894, before the NCAA formed a
provision for band performances at foot
ball games.
"As far as we know, we are the first
marching band to put on a half-time
show," Hedges said.
In 1927, the band traveled to the West
Point-Army game, which was the first non
bowl game the band attended out-of-state.
That same year, John Phillip Sousa pre
sented the band with a silver loving cup
and praised it as being the "finest college
band in the United States."
Band members originally wore ROTC
uniforms, but in 1938 regular band uni
forms were purchased.
Band Day, an annual day on which high
school bands from Nebraska were invited
to participate in the half-time show, started
in 1938 under the direction of Don Lentz,
known as the "Father of Precision Move
ment." Band Day quickly spread through
out the nation. UNL no longer participates
in Band Day because of lack of support.
In 1941, the band performed at the
Rose Bowl, again under Lentz' direction,
and demonstrated many unusual move
ments not previously done by college
bands.
'The UNL marching band has been to
every major bowl game, except during the
wars," Hedges said.
fn 1955, the band ceased to be a part of
the ROTC unit and became an independent
group. Women were not admitted until
1972.
The band toured Europe in 1974, per
forming for half-time shows and other
events.
Currently, Hedges said, there are at least
225 people in the marching band, and
more than 300 in the entire band, compar
ed to 12 original members.
,(We are proud of the fact that we have
initiated many band activities," Hedges
said. "Our band has had a lot of firsts that
we are very proud of. We are a close-knit
group-we've done a tremendous amount
of things, and we have fantastic alumni
support."
Luncheon Specials
Dinner
12 -9:30 pm Sun.
5 -10 pm Mon. - Fri.
12 -10:30 pm Sat.
Happy Hour in our Polynesian Lounge 4 pm - 6 pm Mon. - Fri.
1 1 :30 - 2 pm
Mon. - Fri.
BANQUET ROOMS AVAILABLE
AMPLE FREE PARKING SPACE
EAT IN OR TAKE OUT
Restaurant 489 - 7979
6811 "O" Street
Always only 10 above our cost
Check out our wine department
and these
Vodka
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