page_title: Michigan Marching Band
section_title: 1900 - 1929
hierarchical_section_title: Michigan Marching Band / History / 1900 - 1929
caption_attribution_description: English: Photograph of Michigan Marching Band, entering the gates of Ferry Field, 1920
context_page_description: The Michigan Marching Band is the official marching band of the University of Michigan. The band performs at all Michigan Wolverines football home games, select away games, and numerous concerts, pep rallies, and parades. As a student musical ensemble, the MMB evolved from the original Michigan Band of twenty-two players in 1896 to today's band of over 400 members.
context_section_description: In these early years, the university provided no financial support for the band. The ensemble disbanded in early 1903 amid a series of leadership changes, but reunited that fall before performing in its first "snow bowl" at the game against the University of Chicago on Thanksgiving Day. The following year, on October 18, 1904, the band reintroduced the playing of "The Victors" at Michigan football games. Eugene J. Fischer became the band's conductor with the start of the 1906 season.
  After Michigan moved out of the Western Football Conference during the 1911 season, J. Fred Lawton and Earl Vincent Moore composed the fight song "Varsity," which became an immediate hit. Fischer made the song a standard part of the band's football game performances. In 1914, Drum Major George Olsen inadvertently started the "Goal Post Toss" tradition during the game against Syracuse University. During this time, the band was also changing its performance style to incorporate military drill techniques. Thanks to Fischer's prolonged efforts to secure university funding for the band, Wilfred Wilson was hired by the university in 1915 as the ensemble's new conductor.
  The Nu Chapter of the band fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi, was established to promote and serve the University bands in 1925. Around this time, the university purchased Morris Hall and allocated it as the band's permanent "home." By 1926, membership in the band had grown to nearly 100 musicians prior to Fischer's departure. Nicholas Falcone was appointed as his successor in 1927. That same year, construction of Michigan Stadium was completed and dedicated. The band became an adjunct part of the University in 1929.
caption: The 1920 Michigan Marching Band from the Michiganensian yearbook 1921.
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