1. The History of the Bethany Bands
Samantha Anderson, Foundations of Education
3/14/2016

2. Purpose and Research Questions
The purpose of this project was to explore the metamorphosis of the Bethany Bands from the days of Carl Swensson conducting to what they have become today. How has the band differed, and what changes has it gone through over the years? In observations of photographs, only men were in the band. When were women allowed in the band?

3. Old Mill Museum and West Kentuck

4. Bethany Bands (1800’s) 1877 – First Bethany Band
1882 – Instruction in music
1882 – Bethany Silver Cornet Band
1892 – Lessons on wind instruments

6. Bethany Bands (1900’s) 1925 – Blue Dozen began
1930 – Women in Symphonic Band
1936 – Accredited as School of Music
WWII years
Pick-up Blue Dozen band accompanied Bethany men to their assignments
– band not held
1962 – Women allowed in the Blue Dozen

8. The Blue Dozen; Then vs. Now

9. Bethany Symphonic Band; Then vs. Now

10. Fun Facts!
Dr. Elmer Copley said that in 1960 the Bethany College Choir came nowhere close to achieving the same level of excellence in performance as the Bethany Band!
Lowell Boroughs, the 9th conductor of the Bethany band, would call students “bucketheads” for playing with careless musical behavior

11. Old Mill and West Kentuck music finds

12. Concluding Remarks
The Bethany College Band’s have gone through several changes. From the beginning as a community band, to the reorganization by Carl Swensson as a Cornet band, and is now a band that includes community members. The Blue Dozen used to be the most famous group on campus. The pep band may not have all the glory it used to, but some day soon, it will once again rise to the top!

13. Acknowledgements
Thank you to Lenora Lynam, Sheila Malm, and the rest of the Old Mill staff for their assistance in using their archives.

14. Resources:
McPherson County Historical Archives. [ca. 1900’s]. Archives at the Old Mill Museum, Lindsborg, KS. Lindquist, Emory. Bethany in Kansas: The History of a College. Lindsborg, Kan.: Bethany College, Print. Olson, Carl; Herrmann, Michael. The History of the Bethany Band. Lindsborg, Kan.