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Sep 13 2024

A brief history of school songs at the University of Iowa

“Songs of SUI have peculiar origins,” states The Daily Iowan in a 1962 article. “Old Gold” (1905); “On Iowa” (1917); “The Iowa Fight Song” (1950); and “Roll Along, Iowa” (1954) and “Alma Mater Iowa” (1947/1960) have all assumed distinct roles in campus life, and in the traditions of the Hawkeye Marching Band. This brief history, relying heavily on The Daily Iowan, the Hawkeye Marching Band Records, and yearbooks of yesteryear, traces how each song was adopted into campus life and their role in Hawkeye Marching Band (HMB) performances and practices today.

1905: “Old Gold”

The first two of Iowa’s traditional songs were procured through contests. In 1905, President MacLean launched a competition with a twenty dollar prize for “the best song for the University of Iowa.”1 The song could be submitted as lyrics alone, or with words and music. The senate’s music board served as adjudicators and reviewing a total of seventeen entries. In April it was announced that senior John C. Parish’s “Old Gold” to the tune of “Fair Harvard” was the winner, with “Iowa,” “Alma Mater Iowa,” and “Hail to Iowa” receiving honorable mention. The committee reported that “All breathe a spirit of loyalty and enthusiasm for the university. In some it is a poetic thought, in others it is a rousing rhythm and music, and in others it is the freedom of the yell which conveys the appeal. We need all these forces, each in its place, and it is difficult to compare them.”2 This perhaps explains why Iowa would spend half the twentieth century in search of school songs of various temperaments. “Shall this song live? No one can tell,” declared The Daily Iowan.

old gold sheet music from 1921 songbook
University of Iowa Songs, compiled by Staff and Circle, honorary senior society for women. New York : Hinds, Hayden, & Eldredge, 1921. University Archives, M1958.I3 U55 1921  
old gold sheet music from 1921 songbook
University of Iowa Songs, compiled by Staff and Circle, honorary senior society for women. New York : Hinds, Hayden, & Eldredge, 1921. University Archives, M1958.I3 U55 1921  
old gold sheet music from 1921 songbook
University of Iowa Songs, compiled by Staff and Circle, honorary senior society for women. New York : Hinds, Hayden, & Eldredge, 1921. University Archives, M1958.I3 U55 1921  

Today, “Old Gold” is no longer performed, having been superseded by Gene Mills’ “Alma Mater,” composed in 1960.

1916–1919: “On Iowa”

In 1916, the University launched a competition with a $250 prize, sponsored by the Alumni Club of Chicago, for the “best Iowa song.” Entries were to be submitted to President Jessup by Oct. 1, but the deadline was extended another four months because there were only 15 entries and the committee wanted a larger pool from which to choose. There was also concern raised in a Sept. 27 Daily Iowan article that not a single current student of the 3,000-member student body had written a song; most entries were from alumni. In the end, the pool doubled to 30 entries, including “one song…sent from Washington by a person in no way connected with the University.”3 A campus committee weeded out the “evidently unsatisfactory” entries, then sent the remainder to the Alumni Club to pick the winner.

Late in the Fall of 1917, The Daily Iowan reported:

Announcement is made today of the selection of an IOWA SONG by the University’s alumni association in Chicago. Whether the new song develops into ‘Marseillaise’ or ‘On Wisconsin’ or not, the enthusiasm of the Chicago men and women must be admired. We hope sincerely and believe that the selection which they have made is a good one, yet their good intentions could not be detracted if the song failed absolutely to deliver.

“AN IOWA SONG,” the Daily Iowan, November 10, 1917 4
sheet music cover for On Iowa

The song did indeed fail to deliver. “Iowa, University Iowa” by Hugh R. Newsom, an Oberlin graduate and composer living in Chicago, was deemed better for formal occasions but not suitable as a pep song. The university went back into the song contest entries and selected a song by Iowa alumnus and Waterloo attorney W. R. Law, “On Iowa.” Adoption of this tune is apparent in news items about school spirit, as mentions of the song are numerous. Harold Rossiter Music Co. of Chicago published an attractive copy of the song for sale, and in Iowa City it sold quickly. “On Iowa” also benefited from the support of a campus club, The Howling 300, whose mission was “promoting ‘pep’ and making the Iowa spirit a tangible, worth while thing,” and A.F.I., an honorary senior men’s society that arranged for sale of “On Iowa” sheet music at a Northwestern game in 1920, with proceeds going to the Athletics Department.5

Today, “On Iowa” is the first song of pregame and is played after Iowa scores a touchdown.

LISTEN to the
earliest commercial recording
of “On Iowa” (1952)

WATCH the
Hawkeye Marching Band
perform “On Iowa” (2023)

1950: “The Iowa Fight Song”

Following World War II, the HMB completed a transition away from its Military Department roots and became a student organization focused on school spirit and performance at football games.

“On Iowa” was a great song for the band, it’s rare nowadays to find Hawkeye fans who also know the words, which are more in the mold of an alma mater than a football cheer. Perhaps that’s how “The Iowa Corn Song” wormed its way into the vernacular, much to the chagrin of the Hawkeyes. “The Iowa Corn Song,” written by the director of the Des Moines Shriner’s Band and premiered in 1921, was often played as Iowa’s fight song by opposing bands, despite repeated requests by HMB director Charles. B. Righter (1937-1953) for rival schools to not perform the song (see below). It was also played locally for university parties, to which The Daily Iowan commented in 1930, “…’On Wisconsin’ is played to represent Wisconsin, ‘Notre Dame Victory March’ for Notre Dame, ‘Go You, Northwestern’ for Northwestern. Why not ‘On Iowa’ to represent the University of Iowa? The use of the the ‘Iowa Corn Song’ to represent this institution is no more correct than ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ for Annapolis or West Point.”6

“The Iowa Corn Song as played by Za-Ga-Zig Temple Band.” Des Moines, IA, 1921. Rita Benton Music Library Vertical Files, “Iowa Songs.”
“The Iowa Corn Song as played by Za-Ga-Zig Temple Band.” Des Moines, IA, 1921. Rita Benton Music Library Vertical Files, “Iowa Songs.”
“The Iowa Corn Song as played by Za-Ga-Zig Temple Band.” Des Moines, IA, 1921. Rita Benton Music Library Vertical Files, “Iowa Songs.”
“DO NOT EVER PLAY THE IOWA “CORN SONG” on a University of Iowa Program”
“Survey, Official College and University Songs,” ca. 1952. Rita Benton Music Library Vertical Files, “Iowa Songs.”
“DO NOT EVER PLAY THE IOWA “CORN SONG” on a University of Iowa Program”
“Survey, Official College and University Songs,” ca. 1952. Rita Benton Music Library Vertical Files, “Iowa Songs.”
“DO NOT EVER PLAY THE IOWA “CORN SONG” on a University of Iowa Program”
“Survey, Official College and University Songs,” ca. 1952. Rita Benton Music Library Vertical Files, “Iowa Songs.”

The discontent continued into the 1940s, and so local arts reviewer Les Zacheis suggested that Iowan Meredith Willson should attempt to pen a “better rouser than the rickety-tickety tune that fate wished on them.” When Willson composed “The Iowa Fight Song” in 1950, he was still six years from the premiere of his smash hit Broadway show The Music Man and had only a modest resume as a composer. No request could he deny his fellow Iowans, so he jotted off a tune with the note, “I hope the Iowa boys will like it. If not, I’ll try again.” Fans found the music rousing and the words easy to recall, and the UI had its second fight song.

image of the Iowa Fight Song manuscript autographed by composer Meredith Willson
Note in the manuscript, page 1, fifth line that Willson’s not quite sure what fans should shout after “halls and rafters ring.” He tentatively pencils in “Rah? Rah?” but early stadium performances used “Hoorah, Hoorah!” A 1962 DI article prints the lyrics as “Rah, Rah!” but today’s cheer, of course, is “GO HAWKS!” – Meredith Willson Papers, University of Iowa Special Collections, MsC0731, Box 1.

“The Iowa Fight Song” supplied the school with both a vibrant tune and lyrics that reflected the plucky, stick-to-it attitude of the Hawkeye State, reflected in the closing text, “…until the game is won.” However, even as late as 1958 the debate still raged over fight songs, as can be seen in Robert Claus’s letter to the editor in the Daily Iowan.

There are two kinds of people that personally gripe me to no end. One is the loud-mouthed but tight-fisted, nickle-nursing senior citizen who has refused to support the university, financially and morally—but who now blames the educational crisis on “good football”. This “citizen”…would not support the university when it had poor football, nor will he support it now that it has good football.

The second kind of person is the one who wants to ride to glory on a good football team and university band. He wants the Corn Song played everywhere the team and band go…sing the Corn Song…this solves all problems. His contribution to education and the state is to stand and sing this musical monstrosity.

I suggest that these two kinds of people shut up and get out of the way. And if we wish to be as proud of a piece of music that represents the state, as we are proud of our good teams and band, let’s sing the acknowledged “Music Man” Meredith Willson’s “Iowa” in the Rose Bowl and at home.

“Corn Song Citizens,” the Daily Iowan, November 25, 1958, p. 2. 7

Today, “The Iowa Fight Song” is the second song of pregame and is played when Iowa scores a field goal. 

THE IOWA FIGHT SONG
Words and Music by Meredith Willson. 

The word is "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT for Iowa,"
Let ev'ry loyal Iowan sing.
The word is "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT for Iowa,"
Until the walls and rafters ring (GO HAWKS!)
Come on and CHEER, CHEER, CHEER for Iowa.
Come on and cheer until you hear the final gun.
The word is "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT for Iowa,
Until the game is won."

LISTEN to the
earliest commercial recording
of “The Iowa Fight Song” (1952)

WATCH the
Hawkeye Marching Band
perform “The Iowa Fight Song” (2021)

1954: “Roll Along, Iowa”

In 1954, Frederick Ebbs (1954–1966) became director of the Hawkeye Marching Band. His arrival coincided with an upswing in the fortunes of Iowa football under coach Forest Evashevski (1952–1960). The band traveled to the Rose Bowl in 1957 and 1959. Ebbs favored elaborate formations that made recognizable shapes, like hearts, animals, instruments, technology, and more. He also endorsed the addition of a third fight song to Iowa’s repertory in his first year, “Roll Along, Iowa,” by John Woodman (Commerce, 1921). Ebbs touted the new song, saying it was “rhythmically simpler than any of the other songs that we have. It was composed in ‘cut-time,’ a musical device which speeds up the tempo and makes it possible for a person to hear it only once and walk away whistling the tune.” Ebbs also pointed out that most college fight songs were composed in cut-time, which lends credence to the rumor that “Roll Along, Iowa” may have been an attempt for the school to have a tune more like University of Michigan’s “The Victors.” 8

The song premiered at halftime on Sept. 25, 1954, when no. 12 Iowa played no. 7 Michigan State, happily defeating the Spartans 14-10.9 The band performed a show titled “Story of Four Hats,” featuring a freshman beanie, mortar board, football helmet, and crown. “Roll Along, Iowa” was played at the conclusion of the show to the IOWA pennant formation. While there appears to be little written reception to the song following its introduction, it has remained part of the Iowa canon ever since.

Freshman Beanie
Freshman Beanie
Freshman Beanie
Mortar Board
Mortar Board
Mortar Board
Football Helmet
Football Helmet
Football Helmet
Crown
Crown
Crown
Formations for Sept. 25, 1954 halftime show, preceding the premiere performance of “Roll Along, Iowa.” Hawkeye Marching Band Records, University Archives, RG RG06.0024.006, Box 1.

Today, “Roll Along, Iowa” is the third song of pregame, and is played in a longer version as a stand tune periodically throughout the game.

ROLL ALONG, IOWA
Words and Music by John H. Woodman (Commerce, 1921)

Roll along, Iowa
Roll down the field
On to victory!

Roll along, Iowa
Don't ever yield
Always a winner be.

Get that ball
Give your all
for dear "Old Gold"
Raise her banner high.

With firm endeavor
Roll on forever
S-U-I.

LISTEN to
GAMETIME! a commercial recording
of “Drum Yell” and “Roll Along, Iowa” (1970s)

WATCH the
Hawkeye Marching Band
perform “Roll Along, Iowa” (2023)

1960: “Alma Mater, Iowa”

Not much information exists about the genesis of “Alma Mater, Iowa,” the last of the Iowa songs on this list. Engineering alumnus Gene Russell Mills (1922–2007) wrote the words in 1947 and the music in 1960, and it appears on the song list for events on campus shortly afterwards. 10 Beneath the title on this photocopy of a four-part harmony arrangement of the “Alma Mater” is the dedication “for the SUI Alumni Association,” but beyond that no hints as to why Mills wrote the song or how it was adopted into Hawkeye life. Today, “Alma Mater, Iowa” is sung by members of the Marching Band in the tunnel before entering the stadium and in the stands at the conclusion of the game. It’s also sung the Thursday of Band Camp at sunset, which you can witness in the video below from the 2024 Camp, featuring a glorious late summer Iowa backdrop.

First page of “Alma Mater, Iowa,” words and music by Gene Mills. Hawkeye Marching Band Records, University of Iowa, RG RG06.0024.006, Box 11.
First page of “Alma Mater, Iowa,” words and music by Gene Mills. Hawkeye Marching Band Records, University of Iowa, RG RG06.0024.006, Box 11.
First page of “Alma Mater, Iowa,” words and music by Gene Mills. Hawkeye Marching Band Records, University of Iowa, RG RG06.0024.006, Box 11.
ALMA MATER, IOWA
Words and Music by Gene Mills (Engineering, 1947)

Come all alums of Iowa, 
and blend your voices true;
Sing praises to our Alma Mater, 
as good Hawkeyes do.

Let's keep within our hearts a fire
 to magnify her fame;
Bring credit to these noble halls
 where glory and honor reign.

The day is near when comrades here
 will bid farewell and part;
But each Hawkeye carries on, 
thy spirit in his heart.

Oh! 
Iowa, Iowa, we drink a toast to you;
We pledge our everlasting love 
for dear old Iowa U.

Alma Mater, Iowa.

LISTEN to
Hawkeye Marching Band perform “Alma Mater, Iowa” (2023)

WATCH the
Hawkeye Marching Band
perform “Alma Mater, Iowa” (2024)

  1. “MacLean Prize Song Contest,” The Daily Iowan, January 13, 1905. ↩︎
  2. “MacLean Song Prise Awarded To-day,” The Daily Iowan, April 5, 1905. ↩︎
  3. “More Time Granted for Song Writers,” The Daily Iowan, October 10, 1916. ↩︎
  4. Title illegible, The Daily Iowan, November 10, 1917. ↩︎
  5. “A.F.I. Will Sell ‘On Iowa’,” The Daily Iowan, November 6, 1920. ↩︎
  6. “Educating Orchestras,” The Daily Iowan, May 25, 1930. ↩︎
  7. “Corn Song Citizens,” The Daily Iowan, November 25, 1958, p. 2. ↩︎
  8. “SUI Band to Play New Fight Song at Game Saturday,” The Daily Iowan, September 23, 1954. ↩︎
  9. Image caption, “Roll Along, Iowa,” The Daily Iowan, October 30, 1954. ↩︎
  10. “Iowa Singers give Concert at Inauguration,” The Daily Iowan, January 15, 1965. ↩︎
Apr 5 2024

Feed Me Weird Things: Celebrating the contributions of the late Chris Wiersema

Posters from the archives of Feed Me Weird Things (2017-present) have taken over the outer windows of the Rita Benton Music Library, a welcome and colorful distraction from winter’s untimely return this week. These posters, the work of Dylan Marcus McConnell, showcase just a fraction of the 70+ artists that have been programmed on the series and encompass a wide aesthetic variety of music and performance types: avant-classical, noise, Americana, drone, free improvisation, new-age, folk, jazz, poetry, field recordings, electronics … there’s something there for everyone.

Feed Me Weird Things, which is described on its website as “an Iowa City listening series focused on rare and esoteric musics meant to arouse empathy from deep listening,” was founded by local musician and curator Chris Wiersema, who passed away unexpectedly but peacefully a few weeks ago. One may recognize Chris’ name from some of the other community music projects he was involved in. These include Mission Creek Festival, of which he was producer and programming director; Witching Hour, “dedicated to exploring the unknown, discussing the creative process, and presenting new work”; and most recently FEaST, a fall-time festival that allowed concertgoers to “commune in our shared love of strange and beautiful music “as the threat of ‘All I Want For Xmas is You’ looms large on the horizon.” 

The artists that Feed Me Weird Things brought through town gave intriguing, meaningful, deeply beautiful, and downright strange performances (sometimes all at once). Chris supported local musicians by booking them as openers for each visiting artist, and he promoted them all with equal amounts of enthusiasm and confidence. Performers and audience members alike will always be grateful for what Chris did for the avant-garde music scene in Iowa City.

You can hear the work of the local and visiting artists by clicking on some of the links below, by looking at the “Past Artists” section on the FMWT website, or by stopping by the display and using the QR codes near each poster. Thank you for taking the time to read, to look, to listen, and to share in the vision of Chris Wiersema and Feed Me Weird Things.

A public memorial for Chris will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 7, at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City. You can read more about Chris’ work and life here.

The scheduled spring season of Feed Me Weird Things will continue; all show updates can be found at Trumpet Blossom Café’s Instagram page.

 

The posters of FEED ME WEIRD THINGS: an exhibit in honor of FWMT founder Chris Wiersema (1980-2024) was curated and installed by Christine Burke, Library Assistant IV at the Rita Benton Music Library.