County navigation follows places named in the source records. A city crossing county boundaries can link to more than one county; this does not establish an exact historical location, birthplace or current residence.
The documented story
OSU reports a modern program of multiple ensembles and more than four hundred participants. The university was the birthplace of Kappa Kappa Psi on November 27, 1919, through student William A. Scroggs and Makovsky, with Alpha Chapter charter members named in the university account.
People and leadership
The reviewed origin page does not name the 1905 student organizer. Bohumil Makovsky was the department head whose program later fostered Kappa Kappa Psi; a complete director succession remains optional enrichment.
Community and organization
The band developed as an Oklahoma A&M/OSU institutional program with military, concert, marching, jazz, clinic, alumni, and touring forms.
Reading the evidence
The 1905 student-organized band and later institutional program are presented as the university’s documented tradition; individual ensemble continuity is not assumed across every reorganization.
Questions for further research
Naming the 1905 organizer and completing the director chronology would improve detail but are not publication blockers.
People named in related records
Names are retained as recorded in their source contexts.
- Harry Dunn — Student organizer (1905)
- Lloyd Wood — Band director (1907)
- Bohumil Makovsky — Band director; touring leader (1915-1919)
- A. Frank Martin — Band member; band leader; President of the Band (1919)
- William A. Scroggs — Band member; band leader; Kappa Kappa Psi founder (1919)
- Raymond D. Shannon — Band member; band leader; charter member (1919)
- Carl A. Stevens — Band member; band leader; charter member (1919)
- Clyde Haston — Band member; band leader; charter member (1919)
- Clayton E. Soule — Band member; band leader; charter member (1919)
- William H. Coppedge — Band member; band leader; charter member (1919)
- Asher Hendrickson — Band member; band leader; charter member (1919)
- Dick Hurst — Band member; band leader; charter member (1919)
- Iron Hawthorne Nelson — Band member; band leader; charter member (1919)
- Albert Lynd — marching and pep-band director (1966-1972)
- Bill Rotter — student jazz/stage-group director (1968-1970)
- Perry Bond — student jazz/stage-group director (1968-1970)
- Bob Henry — band member; student jazz-group director (1970-1972)
- Paul Montemurro — marching/jazz director; trumpet and French-horn instructor (1972-1999)
- Richard Kastendieck — marching director; percussion staff (1981-1986)
- Tom Walker — low-brass instructor; jazz staff (1981-1999)
- Gregory Talford — director (1986-1987)
- William Ballenger — director (1987-1992)
- Glen J. Hemberger — director (1992-1997)
- Michael A. Raiber — director (1997-1999)
- Max Mitchell — music department head; band-program administrator (1957-1960)
Dated evidence in this record
- 1905
The Oklahoma A&M band was begun by a student in 1905, had 22 members, performed at athletic events, and supplied its own equipment and instruments.
- 1905 – 1910
The OSU finding aid describes Mr. Wood directing the Oklahoma A&M band from 1905–1907, Lloyd Wood directing it in 1907, and military-science support supplying uniforms and equipment for ROTC events in 1910.
- 1905 – 1907
Oklahoma A&M band history identifies Harry Dunn as organizer of the first known band in 1905 and Lloyd Wood as director beginning in 1907; early leadership context is documented without instruments.
- 1916 – 1931
The Oklahoma A&M band flourished under Boh Makovsky and made annual tours of the state from 1916 through 1931 to promote the band and the college.
- 1917
An official Oklahoma State University article states that the cadet military marching band became more popular beginning with the arrival of its director on campus in 1917; this is a development marker, not a revised founding date.
- 1919
A 1919 Oklahoma A&M band history identifies A. Frank Martin, William A. Scroggs, Raymond D. Shannon, Carl A. Stevens, Clyde Haston, Clayton E. Soule, William H. Coppedge, Asher Hendrickson, Dick Hurst, and Iron Hawthorne Nelson as leading band members and Kappa Kappa Psi charter/founding participants.
- 1929 – 1955
OSU states that a second ROTC marching band was started in 1955 exclusively for Air Force ROTC members; the first ROTC band was formed in 1929.
- 1933
Official OSU history states that a state band clinic was started in 1933 to strengthen public-school band programs, with prominent directors and specialists and A&M band performances from contest lists.
- 1936
Official OSU history states that women were present in every concert-band section by 1936 although they were not permitted to march.
- 1946 – 1948
Oklahoma State University history documents an almost entirely female band during World War II, an all-female band in 1946, and resumed statewide high-school concert tours in 1948 alongside clinic performances, campus concerts, commencements, parades, and athletic-event travel.
- 1946 – 1999
OSU history names Hiram Henry and successive marching, jazz, percussion, and band directors through 1999.
- 1952
Oklahoma A&M’s 1952 symphonic band is described as a 77-piece ensemble under Max Mitchell, with a December 1952 clinic advertised as the 21st annual.
- 1955 – 1957
OSU history documents a second Air Force ROTC marching band in 1955, the combination of former separate male and female bands into one band with a common uniform, and the 1957 reorganization under the Oklahoma State University name.
- 1957 – 2012
The finding aid states that the college became Oklahoma State University in 1957, the present alma mater and pep song were created at that time, and the Alumni Band was created in 1979 and continued at the time of the finding aid.
- 1957 – 1960
OSU band history states that Max Mitchell devoted full time to music department leadership in 1957 while Hiram Henry became director of bands.
- 1967
OSU states that both ROTC bands were discontinued in 1967 when compulsory ROTC ended on campus because of small enrollment.
- 1987
A May 11, 1987 Perry Daily Journal report states that the Oklahoma State University band would perform patriotic marches at the Oklahoma Special Olympics/state games alongside Perry and Stillwater school bands.
- 1987
A May 11, 1987 Perry Daily Journal scan documents an Oklahoma State University band civic performance connected with Perry, Stillwater, and school-band participation.
- 2010-03
The OSU Wind Ensemble performed at the 2010 National CBDNA Conference after a juried invitation and was one of three groups selected for the evening concert.
- 2025
The 2025 Cowboy Marching Band program describes the CMB as OSU’s largest performing ensemble, tracing the student-led organization to 1905 and documenting football, pep-band, bowl, campus, and community activity.
- 2025-09-18
An official September 18, 2025 concert program documents the Oklahoma State University Wind Ensemble as an active named performing ensemble.
- 2026
OSU identifies the auditioned Cowboy Marching Band and the Spirit Band, with home football, selected away and bowl activity, rallies, parades, campus events, and basketball pep-band service.
Sources
- timeline.okstate.edu/events/the-first-band
- timeline.okstate.edu/events/air-force-rotc-band-added
- archivesspace.library.okstate.edu/repositories/3/resources/1208
- gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc2254984/m1/2/
- www.okstatealumni.org/s/860/18/interior.aspx
- news.okstate.edu/magazines/state-magazine/articles/2023/spring/tigers_and_aggies_and_cowboys_oh_my
- news.okstate.edu/site-files/im-files/images/stories/osuaccomplishments/march2010.pdf
- cas.okstate.edu/music/bands/band_athletic
- cas.okstate.edu/music/bands/docs/2025_cmb_program1_utmartin.pdf
- cas.okstate.edu/music/site_files/programs/wind_ensemble_91825.pdf
- kkpsialpha.com/history/oklahoma-state-university-bands-history/
- oklahomabandhistory.org/research/notes/institutional-postwar-16/