Yes, that was the situation in 1926 when then President Charles P. Adams asked new faculty member Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones to form a group of marching musicians. Jones, who later served as the institution’s President for over 50 years, began the tough task by obtaining 17 instruments from Sears and Roebuck and the Tigers were ready to take their first giant step.

At that time, there was no Music Department at Grambling, so sharps, flats, lines, spaces, notes and rest were mysteries to members of that initial group. But the inexperienced Tigers persisted, and soon they were performing their first “melody strained” concert. Later, the action switched from chairs to grassy fields as the tiny group began marching at football games. Since several band members were usually on the grid squad, interesting situations frequently developed. It was a common sight to see Ralph Jones substituting for a band member who had suffered a football injury.

Tiger tunes became more sophisticated during the 1930s, and Grambling musicians began to perform at concerts and dances in neighboring towns. By 1936, Jones, affectionately known as Prez, became the President, but he still directed the band and coached baseball. For the musical group to continue its development, Prez decided a full-time director was needed. So “Sarge” A.D. King, former college band leader and big band director, was hired. Tiger musicians were under his direction until 1949 when Langston band leader J.S. “Pop” Lee took over. Faltering health caused the Oklahoma product to step down and trumpet instructor Sheldon Booth filled-in as interim director until Conrad Hutchinson Jr. was hired in 1952.

Hutch Jr., a Tuskegee institute graduate, had directed high school for over 12 years in Mobile, Ala., Covington, Ky., and Cincinnati. The professional musician and jazz band performer frequently performed at theatrical events and stage shows and on television and radio programs. During World War II the multi-talented musician was in charge of the U.S. Army bands in the China-Burma-India Theater. His years of experience would be put to excellent use at Grambling.