Thumping Loudly, University Band's Drum Will Again Be on Field Between Halves

Not since the fall of 1942 has a Harvard band sprawled its comely H's across a while striped green gridiron come half-time at Soldiers Field on a crisp Saturday afternoon. But this year, things are different, and the Harvard University Band, the only band in the country controlled exclusively by its members, will once again cavort before weekend throngs at all nine (count 'em, nine) football games this year.

The outfit in back of the band is the governing group, incorporated under the name "The Harvard University Band Trust Co." which makes it something exclusive, since other bands are universally dictated to by their respective universities.

Athletic Credits, Free Tickets Offered

As inducement to otherwise unoccupied trumpet tooters the Band advertises that athletic credits will be given to he who spends his time playing the arrangements (also exclusive) under the direction of Malcolm Holmes. Of course, choice grandstand seats also act as lures to the bandsmen. First tryouts will be held Tuesday evening in the Paine Music Building.

According to Tom Howard '47, manager of the band, this will be the first year that the band has taken two trips. The organization will journey to both Princeton and Dartmouth. Set against this factor, Howard said that this is also the first year in which the band has had only two weeks to prepare for their first game -- the Connecticut contest being only two weeks off.

Howard also claims that the Harvard band was the first college band to start forming letters on the playing field, and, after that dodge caught on, that it was the first to put punctuation marks into its half-time efforts. Although he didn't cite the date, Howard also claimed that the Harvard band has played, according to no less an authority than Bill Cunningham, the most inspiring music ever to be played on a football field.