History of Georgia Techs First Band By R. L. "BEDIE" BIDEZ, T.E., 1912 This interesting address was made at the Ga. Tech Home Coming luncheon on October 28, when a picture of the first Tech Band was presented to President Van Leer by R. L. Bidez who organized and led the band, while a student, in the fall of 1908. Mr. Bidez is an outstanding business, church, and civic leader of Mobile, Ala., and has always been prominent in Georgia Tech's activities. At the risk of being called an old man, I am going to reminisce a little. This occasion causes me to remember the many happy days I spent at Ga. Tech. I remember when 20% Davis, Buchannan, " P a p a " L u c k , Charley Sweet, "Chip" Robert, Cherry Emerson, "Piggy" Hightower, Dean Hill, Pat Patterson, Homer Cook and others — some of whom have gone to their reward and all of whom brought to "Tech" not only glory on the gridiron, but many of whom have brought great honor to the school, the state and the nation, as great engineers, great industrial leaders and great soldiers, all of them outstanding citizens of the United States. I remember the many happy days and intimate hours I spent with "Bill" Alexander as his classmate and roommate, for one year in the lower shack, an eight room, wooden building without electric lights or toilet facilities, located down the hill and just north of Knowles dormitory. We called him "Alex" in those days. How he lived to be one of the best loved men who ever attended Ga. Tech — and one of the great athletic coaches of the nation. Immortalized as a builder of men and character and named "Coach of the Year" in 1942 by the New York World Telegram, in addition to his many other sectional and national honors. I remember the day in September, R. L. Bidez, '12, right, is shown presenting a picture of Georgia Tech's first band, 1908-09, to Pres. Van Leer of Tech at the 1950 Home Coming Luncheon.
„ . .. . „ . „,.„., „ „ ,. , Front row (left to right): C. M. Gruber, Miami; M. A. "Mike Greenblatt, the host and first professional director of the band. Back row (left to right): J. G. Hardwick, Atlanta; R. L. Bidez, Mobile, Ala., and Robt. Mell, Atlanta. November-December,
1950
1908, when a little Jewish boy named Cohen from Savannah, Georgia, pinned a notice on the bulletin board in the hall just outside the office of Dr. Branch, the Registrar, calling a meeting in the Y.M.C.A. room (a basement room below the auditorium in the main academic building) of those interested in organizing a band. About ten or twelve men attended the meeting. Gene Turner, beloved Secretary of the Y.M.C.A., was there to lend us his moral support and to tell us that our ambition was a worthy one. The band was organized and Cohen was named leader. Some of the boys had their own instruments, but we needed a bass horn, a baritone, an alto , , , , a n d a b a s s drum " 1 w e n t to m f h o m e (Continued on next page) 7