Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: Forward, March!

(1929 - 1943)

Between 1924 and 1939 the Northern Branch of the College of Agriculture, Davis experienced a period of phenomenal growth. In 1924 total enrollment was 258 students. By 1939 enrollment was over 1100 students, and this was during the Great Depression. The greatest increase in enrollment occurred in 1937 when a Home Economics course was established that resulted in attracting more women to the Davis campus. By the late 1920's student life was beginning to resemble that of other colleges through out the nation. Student clubs, fraternities, and other organizations were beginning to form. Interest in the campus' athletic teams was developing. Student government (Associated Students of the California Aggies; ASCA) played an active role student life from the organization of Picnic Day to various aspects of the athletic and sports programs through the generation of funds and encouragement of student support.

The Administration in Davis also made efforts to transform the Northern Branch of the College of Agriculture from a "cow college" into a "respectable institution." One of the efforts was to establish a music program at Davis that would allow students to perform in various musical groups, thus stimulating cultural growth and awareness among the student body. At first funds were not available to hire music professors, but there was an ambitious, outgoing professor with musical experience who was willing to volunteer his time.

J. Price Gittinger Arrives at the Farm

In August 1929, Dr. J. Price Gittinger arrived in Davis to assume the post of English lecturer. He also brought with him a love of music. Dr. Gittinger, a former undergraduate president of the University of Oklahoma band, was sent to Davis to teach English. But the UC Administration had also asked him to set up some sort of music program for the University Farm students. Although he was to receive no compensation for this project, it would become his primary goal during his first years at Davis.

Dr. Gittinger wasted little time. To aid him the University offered, for the first time at Davis, Music 1, Concert Band under Dr. Gittinger's direction. But the directorship of the University recognized band was only the beginning. Dr. Gittinger appealed to and encouraged students to join the all volunteer band he was organizing to help build spirit on campus and to support the University Farm's football team by adding pep and spirit to the student rooting section at the games. It was this group that would eventually become the California Aggie Marching Band. Aside from spirit and supporting the football team, it was Dr. Gittinger's goal to use the Band to help turn the Davis Branch of the College of Agriculture into a respected and recognized institution of learning. The Aggie Band first met on September 15, 1929 with 15 men. The first Bandsmen were:

The newly established Aggie Band received a great deal of student support to encourage its growth even though the Northern Branch of the College of Agriculture only had 467 students at this time. The ASCA Executive Committee voted to approve funding for the new Band. This was the beginning of a relationship that would last until the 1980's. The student body wanted a strong powerful band that would be equal to any other on any larger university campus; they wanted a band that would attend all football games, home and away.

The Aggie Band first appeared in public on September 29, 1929. The Band met and played for the football team at the Davis railroad station when they returned from a game with Oregon State. The first performance at a home football game was on October 5, 1929, when the Aggies played Brigham Young University; the Aggies winning 19-0.

Since the Band was new, it had no uniforms. Instead its members wore the traditional uniform of Aggie rooters - the white shirt. During these first years the Aggie Band did not march. The Aggie Band was an "in-the-stands" pep band at this point. But it was more than just a pep band. Even during these early years audiences were impressed with and infected by the spirit of the Aggie Band. It has been said by some that it was the Aggie Band that brought school spirit to UCD. This spirit is the single most important tradition of the Band. In later years it would be the Band's hallmark.

The Cal Aggie Band is the oldest musical organization on the Davis campus. Most of the musical organizations at UC Davis can trace their origins back to Dr. J. Price Gittinger and to the membership of the Cal Aggie Band. After football season the Aggie Band became the University Concert Band, which was also directed by Dr. Gittinger. The same was true for the campus Orchestra and Glee Club, which were also formed and directed by Dr. Gittinger. This is not to imply that a member of the Aggie Band was automatically a member of the other musical organizations, rather it reflects the limited number of musicians available on the small campus. The Aggie Band became Dr. Gittinger's source of musicians for each new group he formed. Aggie Bandsmen, then and in the future, would constitute the major source of musicians for the musical performing groups on the Davis campus. The first Aggie Band Concert was in the Woodland Opera House on December 11, 1929. The reviews were not good. Briefly stated, the concert was an 11th hour performance. But things would get worse before they got better.

Even Dr. Gittinger could not prevent the malady that had doomed previous attempts to form the Aggie Band. As successful as the Band was the year before, in September, 1930, only eight students showed any interest in reforming the Aggie Band for another year. The end of the Aggie Band appeared close at hand. It became clear to Dr. Gittinger that the Band would cease to function without a plentiful supply of individuals who are devoted enough to music and school spirit that they are willing to commit the time necessary to keep the Band alive. The Aggie Band reformed in September 1931. This date also marked the admission of women into the Aggie Band for the first time. Two coeds joined the Band that fall.

Dr. Gittinger knew he would have to take steps to help guarantee that the Band would survive. Since the Aggie Band was only a pep band for football season, it only functioned during the fall. The Band continued in this manner through the 1930's. In 1936 Dr. Gittinger formed the ROTC Band, mainly from Aggie Bandsmen who joined to fulfill their ROTC obligation required of male students attending land grant colleges. This allowed Aggie Bandsmen to continue to perform past the football season since the ROTC required a military band throughout the school year. The ROTC band and the Aggie Band were made up of the same students, were directed by the same director, played the same music, and until 1939 wore the same "ancient, scratchy ROTC Army uniforms." Year round rehearsals and performances helped reinforce the idea that the Aggie Band could be a permanent institution at Davis. The Band's cooperation with the ROTC helped create the image of permanence and stability.

"Doc" King is Recruited

In addition to Dr. J. Price Gittinger, the second most influential person in Aggie Band history is Dr. John Richard "Doc" King. One day in 1938, Dr. Gittinger heard someone playing the piano in the rehearsal room in the old horticultural building. When he went to investigate he saw a figure running out of the room. That figure was "Doc" King. "Doc" King was a shy man and it took someone with an outgoing character and personality, like Dr. Gittinger, to bring him out. "Doc" King was a pomologist in the Experimental Station. King was a smart, ingenious and inventive man. He invented a machine that spun cob-webs from rubber cement that was used by Hollywood prop men. King offered to teach the Band how to march. Dr. Gittinger enthusiastically embraced "Doc" King's offer and in March, 1938 King began to work with the Band to prepare them for that following football season. Drawing on his experience as an undergraduate in the University of Indiana Marching Band, "Doc" King taught the Aggie Band how to make formations on the field. The first formations were "HELLO" and the "CA" formation which has been used by the Aggie Band ever since. The Cal Aggie Band moved off the bleachers and on to the field to become at last the Cal Aggie Marching Band.

Since many of the Aggie Bandsmen were in the ROTC Band, the marching style was military. The Aggie Band, with a membership of 30, marched its first football game on October 22, 1938 (Aggies vs. Chico State). The Band's first Drum Major was Perry Miller. Perry Miller was chosen to be Drum Major not because of any previous experience, but because he was tall and "because the director (Gittinger) discovered that (he) wasn't the greatest clarinetist he'd heard." He would be the last male to lead the Band on the field for almost 10 years.

A Novel Addition

1939 was a momentous year for the Aggie Band. It was that year that the Aggie Band marched in its first Picnic Day Parade. On April 22 the Aggie Band lead the Parade and has ever since. In September, 1939, Dr. Gittinger and King sought to make the Band distinct, unusual, and different. Their solution was unique. They substituted a female Drum Majorette for a male Drum Major. They recruited Mary Jeanne Gilhooley, one of the state's top twirlers, to lead the Band. Until then, the traditional model of the American marching band included a male Drum Major. A female "leading" a band was novel and different. But she did not "lead" the Band the way future Aggie Band Drum Majors would, by writing shows or even giving commands, rather it was Dr. King and Dr. Gittinger who would write the shows, drill the Band and give the commands on the field. Mary Jeanne Gilhooley was placed in front of the Band to twirl her baton and merely appear to "lead" the Band. Mary Jeanne Gilhooley would"lead" the Band from 1939 to 1942. As for the Bandsmen's appearance, the Aggie Band got its first uniforms in 1939. The Band received enough money to purchase 35 new jackets, white Sam Browne belts and caps. Bandsmen had to buy their own pants.

The Aggie Band became recognized as one of the best college bands in the state. At the All Western Band Review in 1939, the Cal Aggie Band tied for First with the UCLA band. In 1940, the Aggie Band, with a membership of 35, came in second, behind the University of Southern California band, with a membership of 150, but ahead of the bands from the other UC campuses - UCLA, Santa Barbara, and Berkeley. Again in 1941, the Aggie Band took Second place at this competition. The Aggie Band was pointed to as the example to be followed by the other larger UC bands during the All Cal Weekends. At the All Cal Weekends, the UC campuses of Davis, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Berkeley would participate in a weekend of inter-University football. All the UC bands would perform in a combined halftime show at the UCB - UCLA game. It was the one time of year when all of the University of California Bands could show-off to each other.

Even during the Great Depression the Aggie Band went to all the football games. Although the Band received some funding to travel to away games, Bandsmen traveled to many of these games, not in busses, but in private cars. Those Bandsmen who did not have their own cars or could not get rides with those who did, would hitchhike to the games. The desire to participate in the Band, to support the Aggie football teams, and promote school spirit had finally matured. No longer would the future of the Aggie Band be imperiled due to a lack of interest.

In 1942 Mary Jeanne Gilhooley died in an automobile accident. Her death was not just a loss to the Aggie Band but also to the campus as a whole. She was involved in many campus activities and was popular student leader. Her popularity among the student body helped solidify student support for the Aggie Band. In her memory the campus set up the Mary Jeanne Gilhooley Perpetual Award to commemorate her efforts and time spent towards not only the Aggie Band, but to the Davis campus in general.

With the entry of the United States into World War II, the campus was turned over to the military. The U.S. Army Signal Corps took over the campus in 1943, converting the campus into a training facility. All campus activities were suspended until the end of World War II. Most male students and faculty joined or were drafted in the armed forces. All academic programs and any remaining students were transferred back to Berkeley until the war's end.

During these early years it was the efforts of two men, Dr. J. Price Gittinger and Dr. J.R. "Doc" King, who helped form the Aggie Band. Dr. Gittinger's popularity with the students complemented "Doc" King's shyness. Between 1929 and 1943 the Cal Aggie Marching Band developed from a small, uncertain group that just sat in the stands and cheered for its team and infected the rest of the crowd with its spirit to a respected, award-winning marching band that was competing with larger bands from larger colleges and universities through out the state. The Aggie Band never forgot what its primary purpose was: to support the Aggie athletic teams no matter what it took. The Cal Aggie Band had become the pride and spirit of the Davis campus.