History of the POD

    The University of North Alabama "Pride of Dixie" Band began as the Tri-Cities Band* directed by Dr. William Presser in 1947. UNA, then called Florence State Teachers College (FSTC), underwent a series of events that led to the first official college band in 1949. Dr. Presser took the position of choral director, and Dr. Robert Nye was hired as a new music teacher when President E.B. Norton brought football back to the campus in 1949. Twenty-seven students, out of the 1,400 attending FSTC, formed the first marching band. The band's first rehearsal took place on September 24, 1949 and performed the show Saturday, October, 22 at the FSTC/Livingston (now the University of West Alabama) game. Coach H.A. Flowers had this to say about the band's first performance, "There were many thrills in the game with Livingston, but to me none were greater than those which I experienced watching the band show." 

    During the summer of 1950, uniforms were ordered and Dr. Nye left FSTC to take a position at Oregon University. The new band director, selected by a committee which included band personnel, was Dr. Wayne Christeson. Dr. Christeson was director when the band began practicing on the practice field, which is still in use today on what is now Pine Street. He also saw the band grow to forty-four members in 1954. During his tenure, the band  performed for dedications, inductions, and grand openings. In 1961, Dr. Christeson decided to to devote his time to being chair of the Department of Music.

     Mr. Kenneth Large was hired as the new band director. When he came to Florence State College (FSTC became Florence State College in 1957), he found that he only had seventeen band students. He diligently recruited and raised the number of the band to fifty students. Mr. Large resurrected the band program. In December of that same year, the FSC Lion Marching Band made its first appearance in the Birmingham Veterans Day Parade. The Lion Marching Band was also nicknamed the Marching Band with Symphonic Sound. A job offer drew Mr. Large away from Florence State in 1966.

     After four band directors, the band had increased its number by forty-three members from its beginning in 1949. When Mr. Large left, there were around seventy members. During the years following, that number would steadily increase as four more band directors took the baton.

     Mr. Arthur Theil took over the Florence State College's band in 1965 with assistant Mr. Art Thomas. He was the gentleman that gave the marching band its name. He dubbed the band the "Pride of Dixie." The band had seventy members when Mr. Large left but only forty-six when Mr. Theil took over. By Mr. Theil's second year the number of students in the band increased to eighty members.

     After practicing in the Stone Lodge, or Band Lodge, for twenty years the band moved to its new home, the Lurleen Burns Wallace Fine Arts Center in 1969. The building, named after former Alabama Governor Lurleen Wallace, included a music building, an art building, and Norton Auditorium.

     In 1970, Mr. Theil left Florence State University (FSC changed to Florence State University in 1968) and Dr. Frank McArthur was hired to direct the bands. Under Dr. McArthur's direction, the "Pride of Dixie" entered and won the Birmingham Veterans Day Parade best university band contest on October 22, 1973. Dr. McArthur decided to give up the band in 1975 when he found the work of directing and being dean of the School of Arts and Sciences too much.

     Dr. James K. Simpson, who was Dr. McArthur's assistant band director, took over the position in 1975. He was assisted by Mr. Ron Hooten. In 1976, the "Pride of Dixie" joined the rest of the country to celebrate America's Bicentennial. The band also received an invitation to perform in the Blue/Gray Bowl game. Dr Simpson decided that being director and Department of Music was too much and resigned as director in 1978.

     In June 1978, Dr. Edd Jones took over as director of bands and Mr. Thomas Risher as assistant director. Under Dr. Jones' direction, the band underwent many changes. Lloyd Jones, the current director, began assisting with the band in 1996. Directors from around the state have recognized UNA's (changed from FSU to the University of North Alabama in 1975) music program for the past twenty-two years. Members of the concert and jazz band performed at the Alabama Music Educators Association conference at Auburn University in the spring of 1997. The band received numerous standing ovations and many musicians from around the state wrote Dr. Jones about the UNA music program. The marching band performed at sixteen consecutive Division II National Championship games, and the jazz band has gained great acclaim during his tenure. Dr. Jones retired August 1, 2000 as director of bands and continues to teach in the department in an adjunct capacity.

*The preceding information was gleaned from A History of the UNA Band by Holly Hollman which was published in 1998.