AU Pep Band - History - American University

Making its first appearance at a basketball game in 1930, the American University Pep Band has taken many forms over the years. Though rumors of an AU Band ran through the campus as early as 1928, it wasn't until 1930 that enterprising then-student Dr. Robert H. Parker helped create a "College Band" - the first incarnation of the AU Screamin' Eagles Pep Band known today. Coach Young, then-leader of the AU men's basketball team, commented that, "the band will add pep to the games, enable the rooters to sing the College songs at games, and will actually have much to do with raising the Eagle scores." Today, The 30 Club for Overall Excellence, a Screamin' Eagles Pep Band award created in memory of the first College Band performance in 1930 honors outstanding achievement and overall excellence by our members.

Dr. Robert H. Parker (CAS '34) was essential to the creation of the College Band, directing and running the group from 1931 to 1934. Not only was he a founding member, but his early contributions of leadership and service helped to foster the growth of the College Band over the years into the institution it is today. Dr. Parker went on to become district superintendent of the Baltimore South District of the Methodist Church, and served as President of Wesley University, in Delaware, from 1960 to 1975, to critical acclaim. He passed away in September 1998. In 2007, an award for outstanding leadership in the American University Screamin' Eagles Pep Band was created in his name to honor his founding vision and memory.

The student-run band was officially recognized by AU in 1934 with the hiring of a new faculty member, Mr. James Thurmond. Thurmond also directed the College Orchestra; it is unknown if the College Band and College Orchestra were essentially the same ensemble. Somewhere around the late 1930s or early 1940s, the College Band was renamed to the American University Pep Band, and it continued through 1941 contributing "school songs, pep, and swing music at pep rallies and basketball" under the direction of faculty member Maestro Nuelson.

There is no record of the AU Pep Band between late-1941 and 1958 in archives of The Eagle, leading us to believe that at some point in the mid-1940s, the band ceased to exist due to reasons unknown. But by 1958, the AU Pep Band returned in its second incarnation under the direction of Dr. Gordon Smith of the AU Music Department. He called for a band to "return to this campus of all former activities" - basketball games, pep rallies, and spirit functions. Fighting low attendance, in 1961 the Band created an independent Boosters program to give financial support of the band, but nevertheless, the band faded by the end of the decade.

In 1970, the AU Pep Band entered its third era, reinvigorated by Steve Shapero who brought together 35 students in an effort to raise enthusiasm for the sports program. They played music from popular films, "The Magnificent Seven," "Dr. Zhivago," and "How the West Was Won." The fourth incarnation of the AU Pep Band was born in 1981. Called "The Nest," it was started by students Charlie Levine and Jan Genzer in an effort to create more spirit at basketball games. The 12 regular members played "Hello Dolly and "King of the Road," as reported by The Eagle, which closed a Feb. 1981 article stating:

"Although the quality of their music may not always be outstanding, and their version of the National Anthem has not been perfected, the AU pep band symbolizes the resurgence of the AU basketball program."

Despite faltering several times through the eighties, by 1988 the AU Pep Band members were being paid $10 per game by AU Athletics. Much to the dismay of members today, this practice (though being taken up again briefly early in this decade) was abruptly stopped in 1989 with a massive budget shortfall.

The band struggled with continued low attendance in the early-90s, but by 1994 was fielding 20 regular members at games and had started establishing traditions, which have since been lost. The "AU Pep Band Player of the Game" was an award given to members of the basketball team who were named an "MVP" of each game by the band. The MVP then signed a Pep Band shirt which was subsequently displayed at following games as it collected more and more signatures of AU athletes.

The nearest we can tell, the AU Pep Band has continued in one form or another since this most recent incarnation, adopting the moniker "Screamin' Eagles" in the early 2000s and a regular director, Scott Cameron, who ushered in a new era for the band. In 2007, the band traveled to its first Patriot League Playoffs away game in recent history, playing at the Hart Center at Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., for the PL Semi-Finals. And as part of the historic 2007-2008 season, which brought the AU men's basketball team to the NCAA Div. I Tournament for the first time in school history, the Screamin' Eagles Pep Band flew to Birmingham, Ala., to support the team in its run at the title.

The 2008-2009 season was, by all accounts, a banner year for the AU Screamin' Eagles Pep Band. More than 25 incoming freshman joined our ranks to boost our active roster to more than 50 people - a new band record. In an exciting turn of events, the Band also traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to the Wachovia Center on 3/19 to cheer on our Eagles at the first round of the NCAA Div. I Tournament. The Pep Band sat on the floor to witness our Eagles give 3-seed Villanova a run for their money - it was a fantastic game. The Band was also honored to perform for the D.C. community, as well as visitors from around the world, on Easter Sunday at the 2009 National Cherry Blossom Festival, on the main stage at the Jefferson Memorial.

Our history and roots would be lost to posterity if not for the American University student newspaper The Eagle, reporting efforts of countless writers over the years and the diligent online cataloging of student newspaper archives dating back to 1925 by the Washington Research Library Consortium.

AU Pep Band - History

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