A Guide to the UT Longhorn Band Records, 1901-2004

Historical Note

The first University of Texas band, known then simply as the University Band or Varsity Band, was formed in 1900 by chemistry professor Eugene P. Schoch. Dr. Schoch recruited 16 students and supplied them with $150 worth of used instruments purchased from Jackson’s Pawn Shop in downtown Austin, TX. Dr. H.E. Baxter was the first director of the band that later became known as the Longhorn Band and the "Showband of the Southwest."

Vincent DiNino served as director of the band from 1955 to 1975. Under DiNino’s leadership, the band underwent a number of changes and developed many of the traditions that remain in practice today, such as the ringing of cowbells and the formation of the alumni band. The band acquired Big Bertha, known as the largest drum in the world, in 1955. Women, previously permitted in the band only as majorettes, were allowed to join as band members in 1956. The first black student joined the band in 1962.

The Longhorn Band has performed in the presidential inaugural parades of Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush.

The Longhorn Band has approximately 360 members. Participation in the band is offered through a yearlong course with the Butler School of Music and is open to all academic disciplines. In the fall, the band performs at all University of Texas football games, pep rallies, and parades and in the spring conducts ensemble performances. The band is active in honorary band fraternities, including the Alpha Tau chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi and the Beta Gamma chapter of Tau Beta Sigma.

Sources:

"'A lump comes in our throats': The Longhorn Band’s Early Years."Alcalde 88 (November/December 1999): 96.

"Showband of the Southwest - The Longhorn Band: Part Two."Alcalde 88 (January/February 2000): 64.

"Longhorn Band: The Showband of the Southwest." University of Texas at Austin, Butler School of Music. Accessed February 13, 2013. http://www.music.utexas.edu/longhornband/Default.aspx

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Scope and Contents

Scrapbooks, membership records, clippings, half-time scripts and charts, handbooks, programs, correspondence, organizational records, administrative files, publicity materials, photographs, slides, video and sound recordings document the University of Texas at Austin Longhorn Band primarily from the 1950s to 1990s.

Half-time scripts range in origin from 1965 to 1990, scrapbooks from the late 1950s to 1980s, and band member handbooks from the 1960s to 1980s. Photographs and slides of band members and performances date from as early as 1901. DVDs made from original films cover select half-time performances between 1955 and 2004.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Access to some negatives in this collection are restricted. Contact repository for further information.

Use Restrictions

A portion of these records is stored remotely. Advance notice required for retrieval. Contact repository for retrieval.

Kent Kostka and UT Alumni Band maintain copyright of DVD material. Permission from copyright holder is required for duplication.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

UT Longhorn Band Records, 1901-2004, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by archives staff.

Subsequent revisions were made by Vanessa Attia, February 2013.

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Detailed Description of the Papers

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