This year, as football season begins and the cheers of Bulldog fans fill the air, the Famous Maroon Band is celebrating its 110th year of inspiring school spirit in the students and fans of Mississippi State University.
According to current band member, James Kennedy, being a member of the FMB is an incomparable experience. He enjoys cheering on the Bulldogs and being apart of “the loudest cheer squad” apart from the cowbells.
“Pregame is one of the most amazing things to me as a Famous Maroon Band member because while I am on the field everyone is being prepped for the team to play. Everyone cheers and rings their cowbells. The sound of the cowbells ringing in the stands from the field is an experience not many can share,” Kennedy states. According to the Starkville Daily News report in 1984, the first instrument on campus was a single bugle that awakened students as well as signaled lights-out. Now in 2012, the FMB consists of 340 members from 14 different states.
In 1926, the band underwent some major changes, bringing us closer to the band on campus today. At the time, MSU was called Agricultural & Mechanical College of Mississippi. Two bands held a contest in which the winner would win a trophy.
That same year, A&M bought new uniforms to replace the traditional military uniforms worn by band members. Alabama, not knowing this, was prepared to preform in its traditional military uniforms.
In a telegram from Mose Winkler to the current band director, Professor Henry Wamsley, on October 2, 1926, Winkler said the Alabama band was unprepared for the contest.
“The Alabama band (is) unorganized for contest… You go ahead and make that Million Dollar Band look like two bad bits,” Winkler said.
At halftime, the 40-member band from A&M preformed first and was given thunderous applause. Afterward, the Alabama band refused to perform.
From then on, the band was known as the “Famous Forty.”
In the 1930s, a sports writer referred to the “Famous Forty” as the “Famous Maroon Band.” The name stuck and has belonged to the proud students who have made up the band ever since.
The band has had eight different band directors. When the band first began, it did not have music, so the music that was performed that year and many after that was from the first band director Carl Leake’s own collection.
Since then, each director has made a few changes to the band and has incorporated new traditions, many of which are still in place today.
According to current band director, Elva Kaye Lance, some of the traditions include learning the words of the Alma Mater, “Maroon and White,” and the Fire Engine Report.
“The Fire Engine Report is a university tradition that dates back to the A&M cadets in the days of World War I. The band members have been reciting this at the beginning of the year since the 1950s,” Lance said.
According to alumnus of the FMB, Brian Hawkins, Lance brought with her the tradition of playing “Battle Hymn of the Republic” after the football team wins a game.
Hawkins also said Lance genuinely cares about the students in the band and tries to know each student in the band by name. As an alumnus of the band, herself, Lance tries to give each student the same memorable experience she had as a band member.