History of Southern University Marching Band

              "THE SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

MARCHING BAND"
Southern University's "Marching Band from Jaguar Land!" Simply mention their names and fans are highly captivated, flocking to catch a hopeful glimpse of one of the most electrifying performances in the world. The man who was credited with starting the Southern University Marching Band was T. Leroy Davis. His assistants were Milton Cooper, Assistant Band Director and Arranger and James A. Cato, Assistant Band Director and Choreographer. Davis served as the band director from 1947 to 1964. He organized the Southern University Band Festival and Band Day. He was nationally known for his achievements in the areas of bands as a scholar, adjudicator, clinician, arranger and conductor. In 1957 the band was just a group of students that he developed into an impressive band. The band was very proper and sedate. They marched traditional, which was the style at that time. He also had a very fine concert band which performed each semester along with the marching band. In 1964 the Southern University Band, better known as "The Marching Counts of Sound" proved its superiority in many half-time performances during that school year. The Southern Belle Ballet Corps had begun its second season with the band. The lovely lasses coordinated dances to the arrangements played by the band. The 130-member band gained fame and success and won a place among the best bands of the land. Davis taught the majority of African-American band directors in Louisiana. Davis retired from Southern in May 1987 and was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus in May 1989 in recognition of forty years of service to Southern. On October 25, 1992 Davis passed away at the age of 76. The Southern University Marching Band, after the retirement of Leroy Davis hired Ludwig Freeman as its new director and James Alvin Cato as the assistant director in 1965 to 1969. The Southern University Band proved itself to be the best in the land during its "superior" performances through-out the year. Freeman, proved his capable