Purdue University Bands and Orchestras records
Scope and Contents
The Purdue University Bands and Orchestras records document the history of the department, from its foundation with the Purdue Military Band to its present multi-ensemble composition. The collection consists primarily of audio and visual materials, including photographs, vinyl records, video and audio tapes, film and audio reels, and CDs and DVDs. The subjects of these audiovisual materials include but are not limited to Military Band and Marching... Band performances at Purdue football games, the Indianapolis 500, and high school sporting events across Indiana; concert performances; and international trips and tours taken by Bands and Orchestras.
Also included are programs and promotional materials created or collected by the department; certificates and awards given by or to the department; artifacts including but not limited to marching band uniforms, Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade patches, and Purdue Bands memorabilia; information packets produced by the Marching Band for media use; Marching Band handbooks and study guides; newspaper clippings about the Purdue Bands and Orchestras; newsletters produced by the department; administrative records including but not limited to Band Uniform Design Committee meeting minutes, departmental annual reports, correspondence, and registration forms; and mixed-media files compiled by the department related to Bands and Orchestras student workers, staff, visiting artists and conductors, and international trips and tours.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1890-2014
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1940 - 2009
Creator
- Purdue University. Band (Organization)
Access Information
Majority of the collection is open for research. Some physical materials in series ten have been restricted.
Copyright and Use Information
Material copyrights are held by Purdue University. Consult with Purdue University Archives and Special Collections prior to reproduction of materials.
Historical Information
Purdue Bands and Orchestras is the department of instrumental music at Purdue. It consists of numerous different musical ensembles, which includes both band and orchestra elements. The first and most prominent ensemble in the department is the “All-American” Marching Band, which was founded in 1886 as the Purdue Military Band. At the time, the band offered its members an opportunity to earn Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) drill credit through... participation. After the creation of Purdue’s first football team in 1887, the Purdue Military Band became a staple at Purdue football games, following examples set by other colleges in the United States. Initially consisting of only five members, the Military Band grew steadily throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries, reaching 70 members in 1916. By 2011, that number reached 375, including both musicians and auxiliary units such as the Feature Twirlers, Golduster Dance Team, and Golden Silks Color Guard.
The Military Band at Purdue had no permanent director at its inception, with each director being elected by the band’s members from among Purdue’s staff and students at the start of each school year. This tradition lasted until 1909, when Paul Spotts Emrick assumed the director position long-term. A former clarinet player in the Purdue Military Band from 1904-1908, Emrick came from a family of band directors, and already had experience directing bands before coming to Purdue. By 1905, he had been elected president and director of the Purdue Military Band, positions which he would retain until his graduation in 1908. His absence only lasted a year, returning to Purdue in 1909 to teach electrical engineering, and being elected director of the Military Band once more; a position he would hold this time until his retirement in 1954.
Emrick’s long tenure with the Military Band introduced many changes and firsts for marching bands both at Purdue and across the nation. In 1907, while still a student, Emrick introduced the Block “P” letter formation, marking the first time that an American marching band would break military ranks during a performance. In 1919, the band made its first appearance at the Indianapolis 500, where it would remain a permanent feature, and in 1921, he introduced the “World’s Largest Drum.” In 1935, during an away game at Northwestern University, Emrick directed the first lighted halftime band performance, with band members wearing lights on their uniforms and instruments. American radio broadcaster and sportscaster Ted Husing, who was present at the lights performance, described the band as “All-American,” which provided the inspiration for the band’s renaming to the “All-American” Marching Band.
From Emrick’s retirement in 1954 until 1981, Al G. Wright served as the Director of Bands at Purdue. Wright introduced several changes to the “All-American” Marching Band, including the addition of the Featured Twirlers – the Golden Girl, Girl in Black, and Silver Twins – the Flag Corps, and Goldusters. He also rebranded the band from a military style to a show band style, which included a redesign of the band’s uniform. Under Wright, the band traveled extensively outside of Indiana, making appearances at the Radio City Music Hall in New York, as well as performing internationally in Columbia, Venezuela, Quebec, and the Netherlands. These traditions would continue under Wright’s successors, with three other directors serving since his retirement. Since 2006, Jay Gephart has been the Director of Bands.
Other than the marching band, Purdue Bands and Orchestras has had numerous other ensembles, starting with the Symphony Orchestra, which was added in 1913. As of 2025, Purdue Bands and Orchestras consisted of five major ensembles, each comprised of several smaller ensembles: the “All-American” Marching Band; Concert Bands, consisting of the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Collegiate Band, University Band, Varsity Band, and Campus Band; Jazz Bands, comprising the Purdue Jazz Band, American Music Repertory Ensemble (AMRE), Tower of Power, Jazz Lab Band 1 and 2, and Concert Jazz Band 1 and 2; Orchestras, including the Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Concert Orchestra, University Orchestra, and Sandra Yover Haas Quartet; and Pep Bands, also called athletic bands, consisting of the Boiler Box Band (volleyball pep band), Gold and Black Sound (GABS – women’s basketball pep band), and Boiler Brass (men’s basketball pep band).
Extent
68.031 Cubic Feet (20 cubic foot boxes, 14 record album boxes, 33 flat boxes, 17 shoe boxes, 11 legal-size full-width manuscript boxes, three letter-size full-width manuscript boxes, and two folders.)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into twelve series by format and subject matter.
- Video
- Audio
- Photographs
- Programs and Promotional Materials
- Certificates and Awards
- Artifacts
- Media Information and Drill Charts
- Information Handbooks and Study Guides
- Administrative Records
- Subject Files
- News and Articles
- Department Newsletters
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Audiovisual materials including video tapes, vinyl records, video and audio cassettes, film and audio reels, and compact discs must be migrated to a digital format before use. Contact Purdue University Archives and Special Collections if interested in using this material.
Acquisition Information
Collection was transferred from the Purdue University Bands Department via Kathy Matter on October 12, 2011. Additional transfers from the Purdue University Bands Department via Kathy Matter occurred on October 21, 2011, February 6, 2012, September 6, 2012, May 23, 2013, May 24, 2013, and June 5, 2013; from the College of Veterinary Medicine via Susan Xioufaridou on September 16, 2013, July 22, 2014, August 7, 2014, and August 15, 2014; from the Purdue University Bands Department on July 28, 2014 and September 30, 2015; and from the Purdue University Bands Department via Jaclyn Heinz on March 1, 2016.
Separated Materials
Three Glee Club vinyl records and one Purdue Musical Organizations Commemorative Album have been moved to UA 40, Purdue University Musical Organizations records.
Processing Information
The original order of the materials has been retained whenever possible. All materials have been housed in acid-free folders and acid-free boxes. Oversized materials have been kept in their original series; however, items requiring storage in a larger container have been moved to a flat box. When appropriate, materials have been moved to related resources; this is indicated in the collection description. Portions of the collection contain sensitive information and have been restricted in order to respect confidentiality. These items have been separated from their original location in the collection.
- Three exhibit labels; four sleeves of generic, retail View-Master reels; and one photograph scrapbook cover.
- Title
- Purdue University Bands and Orchestras records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Elizabeth Kriebel, Frank Gyimah, and William Niner
- Date
- 2025-01-09
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
- Edition statement
- Second edition. Collection description was first completed 2020-05-20.
Revision Statements
- 2025-01-09: Collection description and arrangement updated by William Niner.
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- Box: 96 (Graphic Materials)
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- Box: 98 (Graphic Materials)
- Communal Collections Box [Restricted]: 80, Placement: 02 (Text)
- Digital Folder: UA00160 Purdue University Bands (Digital Files)
Repository Details
Part of the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Repository
504 Mitch Daniels Boulevard
West Lafayette Indiana 47907 United States
765-494-2839
archives@purdue.edu