OU Bands Historical Archive

The Forty-Year Anniversary celebration of the OU Wind Symphony on April 12, 2026, set into motion a long overdue project of filling out the OU Bands History.  While previous histories largely focused on the extraordinary milestones of the Pride of Oklahoma’s 100^th year in 2004, no source existed until now for documenting highlights of OU’s concert bands or for updating the Pride of Oklahoma 22 years following its centennial celebration. Now for the first time through the efforts of the current staff, a one-stop collection highlighting events, people, pictures, programs, and facts exists for the entire band program!

The TIMELINE captures such notable contributions of all our contributors from our 19^th and 20^th Century roots including legacies of Leonard Haug, Gene Braught, Gene Thrailkill and Roland Barrett, as well as milestones of the 21^st Century under the leadership of many including Brian Britt, myself, Shanti Simon, and recently appointed, Caroline Hand.

Now, through the efforts of the current band faculty and staff, undergraduate and graduate students, and School of Music tech specialists, a history spanning three centuries is available to EVERYONE.  We hope you enjoy perusing or deep diving into this treasure made possible by contributions of thousands of students, faculty, staff, and alumni! 

Happy Discovering,