The University of Oklahoma’s renowned marching band, the Pride of Oklahoma, is celebrating its 120-year legacy with a special exhibit at Bizzell Memorial Library.
The exhibit, which runs through May 2025, showcases the band’s history, from its beginnings with just a few community players to its status as a band composed of over 325 students.
The exhibit spans over 2,500 square feet and features memorabilia that includes band jackets dating back to 1904 and a collection of both current and historic band photos. Visitors will experience the band’s history through multimedia displays, including videos and physical artifacts such as buttons, pens, tickets, programs, trophies and uniforms.
One of the photos (shown on p. 2) depicts the university's first band, which was founded in 1904 by Lloyd Curtis, who was a freshman at the time. Curtis served as the director of the band for 10 years. This 16-member band primarily served as a pep-band for football games and contained members from the Norman community in addition to OU students.
"Their commitment and relentless support for the Sooners paved the foundation for what we know today as The Pride of Oklahoma," said University Libraries senior exhibits coordinator James Burnes, Ph.D.
“The multimedia approach will immerse visitors in the Pride of Oklahoma’s storied past. The physical items, such as the historic jackets, bring the history to life, turning it into something personal and tangible,” Burns said, highlighting a display featuring two old photos of a band director choreographing marching band moves on a scale model football field.
The exhibit includes tiny army figures, about an inch and a half tall, arranged on the field in a display case next to the drill charts (see photo, p. 2). The display contrasts this historical approach with modern-day band students using cell phones, illustrating the evolution from physical drill charts to the digital era, Burnes says. “The juxtaposition is really neat.”
Another part of the exhibit will highlight the prestigious Sudler Trophy for Marching Bands, considered the Heisman Trophy of marching bands, Burnes says. The Pride of Oklahoma was awarded the trophy in 1987 under the leadership of band director Gene “Coach” Thrailkill.
Today, the band is led by Brian Britt, associate dean of the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts. Under his leadership, the Pride of Oklahoma has performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, twice in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, and at 21 bowl games.
This year, the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts celebrates its centennial at the University of Oklahoma. The college produces over 300 concerts, recitals, dramas, musicals, operas and dance performances each year. Learn more at ou.edu/finearts.
“The continued qualitative and quantitative growth of the Pride of Oklahoma over the past 120 years is a direct result of the unparalleled efforts of Pride alumni and its generous friends and supporters. Our hope is that everyone who loves the Pride enjoy this special exhibit that celebrates its history and its unique place in the culture of our beloved alma mater,” Britt said.
The exhibit can be found on the library’s first floor at 401 W. Brooks St., on the OU Norman campus.