Difference between revisions of "A. Olin Niles"
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| + | == Years Conductor == | ||
| + | * 1923-1973. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Songs Purchased/Introduced == | ||
| + | * Hail, Dear Old Rensselaer | ||
| + | * Alma Mater | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Song Line == | ||
| + | * None. | ||
| + | |||
== History == | == History == | ||
| − | + | The roots of America's Pep Band can be traced back to 1923, when A. Olin Niles organized the school's second musical group (the Glee Club had been formed about 45 years earlier). Mr. Niles had been performing in the pit of the American Theatre in the days of silent films. The President of the Union asked him to start a music program at the Institute, and Mr. Niles complied. As the talking pictures came into being, orchestras such as the one at the American became less popular and Niles was able to devote more time to the Engineer ensemble. In the early days, the band not only played at athletic events, but also gave concerts and played at dances. The group performed for the lacrosse, hockey, basketball and football teams, and would play not only the RPI school song, but also the alma mater of the opposing squad. In 1954, when the hockey team won the NCAA championship, the band took two busses and greeted them at the airport. Membership grew and through the years players broke off to form other musical groups. Niles, who was a big fan of the marches of Sousa, Goldman, and others, retired in 1973 after 50 years of service. (Excerpts from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPI_Pep_Band RPI Pep Band on Wikipedia].) | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
| + | There is a birth record for a man of the name A. Olin Niles [http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/vt/bennington/shaftsbury/vitals/births/birth18.txt here]. It is not certain as to whether this is the same A. Olin Niles, but given the geographic proximity and the similar unusual name, it is quite possible. The birth year also matches that calculated from a Poly article of December 2, 1981 that quoted Niles' age as 88 at that time. | ||
| − | + | Mr. Niles is believed to be deceased — if he were alive today he would be 113 years old. | |
| − | + | == External Links == | |
| + | *[http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/vt/bennington/shaftsbury/vitals/births/birth18.txt Shaftsbury, Vermont births, 1893] | ||
Revision as of 12:17, December 12, 2006
Years Conductor
- 1923-1973.
Songs Purchased/Introduced
- Hail, Dear Old Rensselaer
- Alma Mater
Song Line
- None.
History
The roots of America's Pep Band can be traced back to 1923, when A. Olin Niles organized the school's second musical group (the Glee Club had been formed about 45 years earlier). Mr. Niles had been performing in the pit of the American Theatre in the days of silent films. The President of the Union asked him to start a music program at the Institute, and Mr. Niles complied. As the talking pictures came into being, orchestras such as the one at the American became less popular and Niles was able to devote more time to the Engineer ensemble. In the early days, the band not only played at athletic events, but also gave concerts and played at dances. The group performed for the lacrosse, hockey, basketball and football teams, and would play not only the RPI school song, but also the alma mater of the opposing squad. In 1954, when the hockey team won the NCAA championship, the band took two busses and greeted them at the airport. Membership grew and through the years players broke off to form other musical groups. Niles, who was a big fan of the marches of Sousa, Goldman, and others, retired in 1973 after 50 years of service. (Excerpts from RPI Pep Band on Wikipedia.)
There is a birth record for a man of the name A. Olin Niles here. It is not certain as to whether this is the same A. Olin Niles, but given the geographic proximity and the similar unusual name, it is quite possible. The birth year also matches that calculated from a Poly article of December 2, 1981 that quoted Niles' age as 88 at that time.
Mr. Niles is believed to be deceased — if he were alive today he would be 113 years old.