Brown Band 100th From the Archives

“LADIES & GENTLEMAN, Friends & Alumni… the Brown University BAAAAAAAAAND!” Founded in 1924 by ’28 freshman roomies Irving Harris and Joseph Strauss, the band did have its earnest period—above, Robert Hackett ’41 and Kenneth M. Greene ’42 pose in 1940 with a guest majorette, Ice Capades star Betty Brown. But by the mid-’50s, things had turned zany, reports drummer Sean Briody ’19, author of The Brown University Band: An Ever True History, just out: “You’re like, ‘What is going on here? This is a band?!’” Bawdy jokes, satire, skating, giant batons, the infamous stolen Harvard drum…even rehearsals are insane, Briody says, with a tradition of throwing keys at the conductor at the first key change. A year of centennial events kicks off at the Harvard game September 28. Details at brownband.org/centennial.