Penn State Blue Band

The Penn State Blue Band traces its history to 1899 with the formation of a six-member drum and bugle corps initiated by student George H. Deike.A donation from steel magnate and Penn State College Board of Trustees member Andrew Carnegie made possible the formation of a brass band in the summer of 1901.By 1913, the organization was known as the College Band, and the first permanent director of bands, Wilfred O. Tommy Thompson, was appointed in 1914.In 1923 a few new blue uniforms were purchased towards replacement of the old brown military style uniforms in use. Blue uniforms were issued on the basis of ability and rank. Photos from 1924 (not shown here) show a nucleus of blue uniformed members in a block S formation surrounded by a large number of brown uniformed band members. This select group of instrumentalists became known as the Blue Band and represented Penn State as the official traveling band.During succeeding eras in which Hummel (Hum) Fishburn (19391947), James W. Dunlop (19471975), and Ned C. Deihl (19751996) served as directors, the name Penn State Blue Band was kept even though all members were uniformed in blue. Today the director of the Marching Blue Band is Dr. O. Richard Bundy.The Penn State Marching Blue Band has appeared at 32 bowl games including multiple appearances in the Orange, Cotton, Sugar, Fiesta, and Citrus Bowls. The band has also performed at the Outback, Blockbuster, Holiday, and Rose Bowls and for the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. In addition to marching in several Orange Bowl, Citrus Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl parades, the Blue Band marched in the Bicentennial Constitution Celebration Parade held in Philadelphia in 1987 and made its first appearance on January 2, 1995, in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.