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.