Evidence of bands at South Dakota State University can be found as early as 1886, only the second year of classes at the Land-Grant institution. From this grew what is known today as the “Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band.”
The band was led by six different men over the first twenty-one years of its existence. A highlight of these early years was a trip to the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, under the direction of John Parmalee Mann. His successor, Francis J. Haynes, penned the music to the school’s alma mater, the Yellow and the Blue. In 1911, Carl “Christy” Christensen became Director of Bands, and did not relinquish the title for forty-three years. The highlight of “Christy’s” illustrious career was a trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1939, in which the band performed for King George VI and Queen Consort Elizabeth.
The band has carried on a rich tradition of high-profile performances. In 1962, the band, under the direction of Dr. Warren Hatfield, began a relationship with the National Football League’s Minnesota Vikings. For over twenty years, the band performed at their games, and many of these performances were broadcast to a national television audience.
Under the leadership of John Colson and Gene Pollart, the band continued to grow and become known for their high-energy, entertaining, and skillful performances. Because of this reputation, the band, under the direction of Dr. Darwin Walker, earned an invitation to the 1981 Inaugural Parade of President Ronald Reagan. James McKinney led the band to the 1997 Inaugural Parade of President William Clinton, the 2000 Fourth of July Parade in Washington, D.C., and the 2003 and 2008 Tournament of Rose Parades. Since McKinney’s retirement, Eric Peterson, James Coull, and Kevin Kessler have each served as the director of the Pride.
This document chronicles the history of the band from its origins to 2015.