Band shows school pride for more than 100 years

The Pride of Oklahoma has been a staple at Sooner football games for more than100 years. The band started in 1901 with a few Norman residents and has grown to include 300 students from a variety of majors. News9.com's INsite team takes a look at the history of OU's marching band.

1901: Professor John Merrill started the first band. It was made up of Norman residents.

1904: Cornetist Lloyd Curtis founded the first continuous student band. He lead the band program for 10 years.

1907: The band marched in a parade for the inauguration of Oklahoma's first governor.

1913: The band made its first strip to Stillwater for the football game against what was then Oklahoma A&M.

1929: William R. Wehrend became the first faculty member devoted to the band program.

1934: Director William R. Wehrend organized an attempt to set a world record for the longest drumroll. Four drummers rolled in Holmberg Hall as members of Kappa Kappa Psi band fraternity provided food and oiled their wrists with rubbing alcohol. The group set a new record after ten hours of drumming.

1934: Women were allowed to join the band for the first time.

1961: The Pride traveled to Washington to march in the annual Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. The band won best overall unit out of the 200 in the parade.

1987: The Pride won the Sudler Trophy, one of the highest honors given to college bands.

2007: The band made its first appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

Information and photos provided by OU Bands.