Thursday, March 31, 2022

AKHS Band Uniforms Unveiled – March 1962

If you went to Admiral King High School, and especially if you were a member of the marching band (like me), then you might find this photo interesting. It ran in the Lorain Journal back on March 10, 1962 and reveals for the first time what the new marching band uniforms looked like. The school had been dedicated on October 29, 1961.

As the caption notes, “NEW AKHS UNIFORMS – Members of the Admiral King High School band display the new blue and gold band uniforms which will be shown for the first time to the public Friday, March 16 at a band concert. Left to right are Gail Breckenridge, Phil White, Carole Marks, Elsie Schneider and Virginia Vidra.”

It’s interesting to me because the band uniforms are the same ones we wore in the 1970s. I remember them well. They were of a heavy material and pretty durable, obviously, for us to still be wearing them sixteen years later. We had different hats (ours were white) but we still had the ‘corn dog’ mounted on them. 

Here’s my younger brother and I, getting ready to head off to the Memorial Day parade in 1977, my senior year. (Note the two Olds in the garage – one was Dad’s work car, the other was the family car.)

Decades later, some of my best memories from high school are of my four years in the AKHS marching band. Many of my best friends were in the band with me, as well as my two brothers. I still feel close to many of my bandmates because of all the camaraderie and fun we shared.

Also, there was nothing as fun as marching on a football field during a game or in a parade down Broadway.

8 comments:

Tim Burton said...

Cool story.

Anonymous said...

I like that "68 Cutlass in the garage.Was it a 4 door,2 door?V8?Hydro-matic?I also like that your garage was in fact used to park cars in.Nowadays people have so much junk that they use a garage to keep all their junk in and leave the poor cars to sit outside in all the inclement weather.Kind of defeats the purpose a little.

Jeff Rash said...

Thanks for this Dan!!

Band was truly the best part of high school. Marching to the stadium before the football games is something I will always remember with a smile. Again...thanks for posting this.

Jeff Rash

Dan Brady said...

Glad the post brought back some good memories, Jeff!

And If I remember correctly, Dad’s '68 Cutlass was a 2-door, V-8 (350 cu in.) And that’s so right about people’s garages these days!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting. Being in band at AKHS was the best; so many good memories.

Theresa

Anonymous said...

Looks like you were having fun and prepping for the OSUMB. I only remember you two side by side once or twice in C-bus.

Anonymous said...

Oh by the way, you still look the same, albeit with shorter hair.

Dan Brady said...

Thanks! It helps that I still have my hair and didn’t grow a beard. And I’m glad you have happy memories of the band, it really was the best time.

I did try out for the OSU Marching Band when I was a sophomore – and was cut in the first round! I guess I never was a good marcher. But I still got to wear the OSU Marching Band uniform since I was in the ROTC band that played at basketball games. (It was a class that you just signed up for.) Didn’t remember to get a photo of me wearing the uniform though!