Collection inventory

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Syracuse University Marching Band Collection

An inventory of its collection at the Syracuse University Archives


Finding aid created by: Nicole Morello
Date: 2018

Historical Note

Photograph of members of the marching band and majorette at a 1960 Cotton Bowl rally

Syracuse University’s Marching Band, known as “The Pride of the Orange,” is one of two athletic bands on campus that appear at football, basketball and other events. The first University Band was formed in 1901 with 23 members and, on October 12, made its first football game appearance. The band was dismissed just three years later for financial reasons but reformed in 1907, playing at several functions on campus. In 1909 Chancellor Day authorized scholarships for band members. In 1919, the band merged with the ROTC band and received new uniforms and instruments from the U.S. government. In 1924 the Marching Band became a minor sport and began receiving funding from the athletic department, separating it from the ROTC band, though they continued to occasionally perform together. In 1940, due to a shortage of male students lost to the war effort, the first women were allowed to join the band and were the majority by 1943. In 1944, the first majorettes joined the band and in 1946 the band was established within the School of Music. Following World War II, women were once again barred from joining the band as musicians, a policy which would remain in place until 1966. In 1947 the band debuted as “100 Men and a Girl,” with Dottie Grover as the featured baton twirler. This unique arrangement, with a single baton twirler accompanying the band, became a hallmark of Syracuse University's Marching Band. The featured twirler became known as the "Orange Girl," a position which remains part of the band to this day. In 1970, the Marching Band embarked on a European concert tour which included the World Band Festival in Holland. The band won three awards at the competition and were welcomed back with much acclaim. That fall, they were introduced for the first time as “The Pride of the Orange.” The Marching Band continues to represent Syracuse University at home and on the road and in 2014 played the Super Bowl pregame show alongside the Rutgers University Marching Band.

Scope and Content Note

The Syracuse University Marching Band Collection spans from 1901 to 2018 and contains various materials related to the organization including uniforms, photographs, and printed materials. The collection is divided into four series:

The Memorabilia series comprises uniform pieces from various eras in the Marching Band’s history.

The Photographs series contains images documenting the band's seasons from some of its earliest bowl performances to its 2014 performance at the Super Bowl pregame show at the Meadowlands. Also included are group portraits of the band from as early as 1907, and as recently as 2018.

The Records series contains printed materials related to the band such as directories and drill formation documentation.

The Scrapbooks series contains two scrapbooks documenting the band’s 1962 season and their 1952-1953 Orange Bowl trip.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from the Syracuse University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

A poster was removed from the collection and added to the Syracuse University Poster Collection. Some clippings were separated from the collection and placed in the Syracuse University Clipping Files.

The University Archives holds several collections related to the Marching Band. There are a clipping file on the Marching Band in the Syracuse University Clipping Files, additional photographs in the Syracuse University Photograph Collection, and several posters in the Syracuse University Poster Collection. Buttons and uniforms from the Marching Band can also be found in the Syracuse University Memorabilia Collection. Recordings of the Marching Band playing and other related materials can be found in the Syracuse University Student Activities Music Collection. The Suzanne Hausmann Halstead Photographs contains photographs of the band between 1973 and 1974, the John D. Kegg Trombone comprises a trombone played in the band, and the Dottie Grover Collection consists of memorabilia and printed materials concerning the Marching Band's first Orange Girl. A drum major uniform from the late 1930s is held in the Edward Rimkunas Memorabilia.

Selected Search Terms

Names

Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.
Syracuse University. -- Marching Band.

Subjects

Color guards.
Marching bands.
Student activities.
Higher education.

Types of Material

Achievement certificates.
Admission tickets.
Banners.
Brochures.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Concert programs.
Directories.
Hats.
Jackets (short coats)
Photographs.
Postcards.
Resolutions (administrative records)
Scrapbooks.
Sheet music.
Uniforms.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Syracuse University Marching Band Collection,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Transfer from the Setnor School of Music in 2016 and 2025.

Processing Information

Materials were placed in acid-free folders in acid-free boxes.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged alphabetically.

Table of Contents

Memorabilia

Photographs

Records

Scrapbooks

Inventory