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57-723: Since the founding of the band in 1886, the group has grown from an original 5 members to 399 members. Notable features of the band include the Purdue Big Bass Drum , the Purdue Golden Girl featured twirler, and the "Block P", which is the first marching band field formation created in 1907. In 1886, the Purdue Student Army Training Corps, forerunner of the Reserve Officers Training Corps , formed

114-456: A drumline , two drum majors , and the World's Largest Drum along with its crew. Auxiliary performers are organized by their performance type. In addition, a section of fourteen Big Ten Flag carriers march with the band in parade and on the field. To gain admission to the "All-American" Marching Band each student must audition every year. Previous years membership does not guarantee a position in

171-421: A "truly All-American marching band," hence the current title of the band. Emrick retired in 1954, and to date the band has been under the direction of just five other men: Second director Al Wright added many "show band" traditions to the "All-American" Marching Band. He increased the size of the band, added baton twirlers, and changed the uniform to its current look. Wright built upon the patriotism suggested in

228-679: A ball-control offense in the 20–17 win, and tossed a 28-yard touchdown pass to halfback Abner Haynes . The team moved north to Kansas City and was renamed to the Chiefs in 1963 . A pinpoint passer, Dawson's mobility helped him flourish in Stram's "moving pocket" offense. He would win four AFL passing titles and was selected as a league All-Star six times, ending the 10-year run of the league as its highest-rated career passer. From 1962 to 1969, Dawson threw more touchdown passes (182) than any other professional football quarterback. In 1966, Dawson led

285-584: A bench-clearing brawl, offsetting penalties were called, nullifying the first down under the rules in effect at that time. The Chiefs were obliged to punt, and the Raiders tied the game on a George Blanda field goal with eight seconds to play. Taylor's retaliation against Davidson not only cost the Chiefs a win, but Oakland won the AFC West with a season record of 8–4–2, while Kansas City finished 7–5–2 and out of

342-584: A five-member drum corps to play music for the cadets during their morning conditioning marches. Purdue fielded its first football team a year later, in 1887. The band began playing at games soon afterward. However, during this time it played sporadically, as there was no consistent director; it depended on finding a student or faculty member who was qualified to drill them. Additionally, the band received almost no training and had to provide most of their own equipment and support. Despite this, by 1902 it had grown to 50 members and had become partly self-supporting. Despite

399-595: A letter on the field—the famous Block "P". In a 1953 interview with the Lafayette Journal & Courier , Emrick recounted seeing geese fly over a lake in the fall, saying "usually, they'd fly in a 'V', but once in a while, they'd change formation and fly in various figures. I used to wonder if you could do that with men drilling." The "Block P" has been performed during each pre-game performance ever since its inception. Emrick stayed on as full-time director after his graduation in 1908. In 1921 Emrick commissioned

456-529: A quarterback, and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. Only his touchdowns records still stand. He also held the single season passing touchdown record from 1964 until it was broken in 2018. He held the single season passing yards record from 1964 until 1983. He was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1979 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. His number 16 was retired by the Chiefs and

513-683: Is reluctant to disclose the exact measurements of the drum, claiming the dimensions are an AAMB secret. Hayleigh Colombo of the Indianapolis Star was able to confirm the drum's original 1921 size of 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m) in diameter and 3 feet 9 inches (1.14 m) wide from microfilm stored at the Tippecanoe County Public Library. However, the Leedy Manufacturing Company , its original manufacturer, increased

570-664: Is the only number in franchise history to be worn by a single player. He was also named to the American Football League All-Time Team in 1970. In 1966, while still playing for the Chiefs, Dawson became sports director at KMBC-TV in Kansas City. On March 16, 2009, Dawson announced he would step down from anchoring on a nightly basis but would still report for KMBC during the Chiefs football season and would fill in when other anchors were on leave. From 1977 to 2001, Dawson hosted HBO's Inside

627-470: The 1969 Kansas City Chiefs season . Dawson teamed with Depend in 1998 to encourage men to visit their doctors and to be screened for prostate cancer . Dawson was married to his high school sweetheart from 1954 until her death in 1978. He had two children. He later remarried and remained married until his death. In 1991, Dawson was diagnosed with prostate cancer . On August 12, 2022, Dawson's family announced that he had entered hospice care at

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684-648: The All-American Marching Band (AAMB) of Purdue University . At a height of over ten feet (3 m) when the carriage is included, it is branded by Purdue as the " World's Largest Drum ". Since its inception, it has become a lasting symbol of the marching band as well as the university. The drum can be seen at all Purdue home football games as well as parades, alumni rallies, the Indianapolis 500 Race, and many other special events. The drum stands approximately ten feet high on its carriage. Purdue

741-574: The Feria de las Flores . In 1995 the "All-American" Marching Band was the recipient of the Sudler Trophy , the most prestigious award a college marching band can receive. Currently, the "All-American" Marching Band is the only band from a university without a school of music to have received this award. The Purdue band is also famous for its five Featured Twirler positions: the Golden Girl,

798-568: The University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas . He died on August 24, at the age of 87. The Chiefs wore a decal with the number 16 on their helmets for the entire 2022 season in honor of Dawson. Before their first offensive play of the preseason game the day after his death, the Chiefs lined up in a huddle popularized by Dawson, where the quarterback stands in front of the other 10 offensive players instead of standing in

855-637: The University of Missouri debuted Big Mo at 9 feet (2.7 m) in diameter and 54 inches (1,400 mm) in depth. Subsequently, on October 15, 2022, Texas retired Big Bertha in its 100th year of service and introduced Big Bertha II as the largest bass drum in the world at 9.5 feet (2.9 m) in diameter and 55 inches (1,400 mm) in depth during halftime of their game against Iowa State at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium . The drum has also gained national attention on several occasions, such as when it has been stolen, usually by students from Notre Dame or Big Ten rival Indiana University . In 2021,

912-460: The "All-American" name of the band by creating the "I Am An American" speech. This speech is read during each pre-game performance while the band plays America the Beautiful . Wright greatly increased the visibility of the "All-American" Marching Band across the world by taking the band to perform in many countries including Canada, Holland, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Colombia, and Venezuela during

969-682: The 1960s and 1970s. This tradition of international travel continues today, with other notable trips including an invitation from the Chinese government to perform in international cultural activities that lead up to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics . In 2012, 2018 and 2023 the Band also traveled to Ireland for the Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin. In 2015, the AAMB traveled to Medellin, Colombia for

1026-643: The AFL's Chiefs (then known as the Dallas Texans), where he spent the last 14 seasons of his career, and rejoined the NFL after the AFL–NFL merger . In the AFL, Dawson led the league in completion percentage seven times, passer rating six times, and passing touchdowns four times. He was named Most Valuable Player in 1962 and selected to six AFL All-Star games. Dawson also guided the Chiefs to three AFL championships and

1083-762: The American Football League's Dallas Texans on June 30, 1962. The move reunited him with Stram, who was beginning his third year as the Texans' head coach. In 1962 , Dawson led the league in touchdowns and yards per attempt, and was the Sporting News ' selection as the AFL MVP . He also led Dallas to the first of three league titles in a thrilling double-overtime victory over the two-time defending champion Oilers in Houston. Dawson ran

1140-576: The Bands Department. The head was signed by U.S. President Harry Truman in 1961. Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn signed his name to the drum before a concert at Purdue University in 1995. Other signatures include astronauts Gus Grissom and Neil Armstrong as well as Snoop Dogg and the Kodo Drummers of Japan. The inside of the drum is filled with names of previous drum crew members that can be seen through two air expansion holes in

1197-488: The Big Bass Drum had been neglected after years of damage in storage. Wright had the drum repaired and once again made it a centerpiece of the marching band. Because large cattle were much rarer than they were when the drum was built, Remo began making Mylar drum heads for Purdue in the early 1960s. These synthetic heads can be changed frequently. While the drum may have been the world's largest in overall size at

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1254-713: The Chiefs named their broadcast booth at Arrowhead Stadium after Dawson. In 1979, Dawson was enshrined in the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame, followed by induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 and Purdue 's Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996. In 2008, he was awarded the Walter Camp Distinguished American Award . In 2006, Dawson was interviewed for the NFL Network documentary America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions chronicling

1311-610: The Chiefs to an 11–2–1 record and a 31–7 win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFL Championship Game , earning his team the honor of representing the AFL in Super Bowl I , the first championship game between the AFL and their NFL rivals. The NFL champion Green Bay Packers won easily, 35–10, but Dawson performed fairly well, completing 16 of 27 passes for 210 yards and one touchdown, with one interception. Dawson

1368-602: The Chiefs to road playoff victories over both the defending Super Bowl champion New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders . He then capped his year with MVP accolades in Super Bowl IV , the last game ever played by an American Football League team. In the game, Dawson paced the Chiefs to a win over the NFL's heavily favored Minnesota Vikings by completing 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown, with one interception, and rushing for 11 yards. The performance

1425-434: The Golden Girl was begun in 1954 during the era of quarterback Len Dawson , whose poise on the field prompted the press to nickname him Purdue's "Golden Boy." At the same time, Dr. Al G. Wright (now Director of Bands Emeritus) brought his first twirling protégé to the field, Juanita Carpenter, who earned the title of "Golden Girl." When Dawson graduated Purdue was left without a Golden Boy, but Carpenter's graduation didn't have

1482-591: The Golden Girl, the title has been passed down over the years. Out of the 30 pairings to ever take the field, 12 of them have been sets of twins. In 1962, another solo twirler position was created to complement the Golden Girl. Dressed in Purdue's other color, black, June Ciampa first performed as the International Twirler. This title was later replaced with "Girl in Black." 2010 saw the first addition to

1539-526: The Leedy Manufacturing Company of Indianapolis to construct the world's largest bass drum. The " Big Bass Drum " has been a part of the marching band ever since. In 1935, during a Purdue football game at Northwestern University the band donned lights on their uniforms while performing at halftime. With the stadium lights turned off for the performance, the band drew such awe from radio broadcaster Ted Husing , he referred to them as

1596-569: The NFL . He also worked as an analyst for NBC 's AFC coverage from 1977 to 1982. From 1985 to 2017, Dawson was the color analyst for the Chiefs' radio broadcast team. In 2012, Dawson was honored with the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award presented by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his longtime contributions as a sports broadcaster. At the beginning of his final season as the Chiefs radio analyst,

1653-554: The Silver Twins, the Girl in Black, and Miss Boilerette. Purdue's Golden Girl rank among the nation's best twirlers and is at the top of her art form. This talented performer is selected by audition each April, and serves as a leader of the AAMB as well as an ambassador for Purdue University. Recognized nationally for her unique talents, this coveted position has roots going back to the early history of Purdue Bands. The tradition of

1710-533: The Steelers acquired future Hall of Famer Bobby Layne early in the 1958 season . Dawson was traded to the Cleveland Browns on December 31, 1959. However, after encountering similar problems in battling Browns quarterback Milt Plum , Dawson was released after the 1961 season , having completed only 21 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns in his five seasons of NFL play. Dawson signed with

1767-473: The band. Auditions are composed of a music audition followed by a week of marching auditions prior to the first week of classes. Student Leaders for each instrument section are selected by band staff to aid in the teaching of Purdue band marching fundamentals including the Big Ten conference's ubiquitous chair step . Purdue Big Bass Drum The Purdue Big Bass Drum is a percussion instrument played by

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1824-476: The bar, horizontal holds, and one handed balancing. Drum crew members perform push-ups each time the Purdue Boilermakers score a touchdown . The push-ups correspond to the total score achieved at that point by the Purdue football team. The push-up tradition was started by Eric Stankiewicz in 1994. Another tradition is for celebrities to sign the drum head, and old autographed heads are kept in

1881-443: The crew to see how they would respond in certain situations because during a year many types of situations can occur ranging from talking with celebrities, rowdy fans, and senior citizens. Each takes a certain adaptation that a crew member needs to make. Questions also include history of and other important facts of the drum such as its size and original cost. Len Dawson Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022)

1938-516: The drum can be seen on the back of a pickup truck driven around the track. When Purdue scores, the drum crew can occasionally be seen performing aerials in the Southeast endzone of Ross–Ade Stadium . This is accomplished by first removing the 'third' wheel, which acts as kick stand. Two crew members pull down of the back of the drum as two other members are lifted on the front bar of the carriage, while performing acrobatic stunts, such as spinning on

1995-583: The drum celebrated its 100th anniversary with the Purdue Band. The band honored its legacy by featuring it and its crew during a halftime show against the University of Minnesota in October. Earlier that season, the BBD was denied entry into Notre Dame Stadium because the visiting team's tunnel into the stadium was too small for the drum to fit through, and Notre Dame denied access to their larger tunnel. This

2052-416: The drum's size by "several inches" in 1937. Thus, the drum's modern exact dimensions remain unknown to the public. Many of the original components, the carriage, axle, wheels, and wood shell of the drum are all intact and well preserved. Since its trip to Ireland with the "All-American" Marching Band in the spring of 2013, the drum has been restored with new paint and select new parts to replace ones damaged on

2109-478: The fast-paced shows presented by the All-American Band. In 1921, band director Paul Spotts Emrick commissioned the Leedy Manufacturing Company in Indianapolis , Indiana , to produce a massive bass drum . Other bands were trying to make large drums at the time, but most could only achieve a diameter of about four feet. Emrick wanted a drum larger than that; specifically, he wanted a drum "larger than

2166-551: The featured twirlers in 48 years. Dressed in white, Rachel Bazzell became the inaugural Miss Boilerette, a position that has only been held by five individuals. The Purdue "All-American" Marching Band has pioneered a number of accomplishments. It was the first marching band to: The AAMB contains numerous woodwind , brass , percussion , and auxiliary members. In parade and block formation the wind instruments are organized into ranks of 10 people. The band currently contains 26 ranks of wind instruments. The percussion section consists of

2223-547: The football field, Emrick and Leedy decided to use a wheeled carriage. After contacting Jesse Lemon of the New York Central Railroad , Emrick was able to find a baggage car with a door large enough to accommodate the Monster. The Purdue Drum's first football game was at the University of Chicago , whose band members immediately contacted C.G. Conn asking for an even larger drum. The resulting instrument

2280-677: The franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl IV , of which he was named MVP . He retired from professional football after the 1975 season and later served as the sports director at KMBC-TV in Kansas City and color analyst for the Chiefs Radio Network. His demeanor and style earned him the nickname " Lenny the Cool " from his teammates. Dawson was the seventh son of a seventh son and 9th of 11 children overall. He attended Alliance High School in Alliance, Ohio . He

2337-432: The lack of a full-time director, it was already known as one of the best college bands in the nation. The band's modern history began in 1904 when Paul Spotts Emrick , a freshman engineering student from Rochester , joined the band. His experience as a conductor resulted in his election as band president and director the next year. During his senior year at Purdue in 1907, the band became the first to break ranks and form

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2394-557: The man playing it." The main constraints included finding cattle skins large enough to use for drum heads, and carrying the drum both during and in between performances. After months of searching, Leedy's suppliers solved the first problem by finding steers weighing between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds each, which are said to have been from Argentina . These large heads put a great strain on the shell, requiring special reinforcement rods to be designed. While other marching bands had tried having two people work together to move their large drums along

2451-482: The playoffs. Dawson announced his retirement in May 1976, shortly before turning 41. Dawson ended his career in 1975, having completed 2,136 of 3,741 passes for 28,711 yards and 239 touchdowns, with 181 interceptions. He also gained 1,293 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns in his career. Dawson retired as the Chiefs all-time career leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, attempts, rushing yards by

2508-479: The same effect on her title. Instead Golden Girl evolved into a movable crown that's been passed down through generations, and the position has become the standard for excellence within the twirling community. The Silver Twins first graced the field of Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium in 1960, when twin twirlers Sharon and Karon Roeske gained the attention of Purdue Bands and Orchestras. They were dressed in matching silver uniforms, and like Juanita Carpenter with her role as

2565-446: The side of the drum. Every fall during the week of camp, training occurs. The potential crew is put through a series of physical and public relations tests to determine if they suit the characteristics needed to be on the crew. Physical tests include: 2 minutes of push-ups , 2 minutes of sit-ups , a 1.5-mile run, a 100-meter dash, and a 400-meter run. Each test has a perfect score for which members aim. A series of questions are asked to

2622-539: The team's kicker. Behind a strong offensive line, he threw four touchdown passes in a 31–0 victory over Missouri , then later engineered a huge upset of Notre Dame , which had entered the contest on a 13-game winning streak. During three seasons (1954–1956) with the Boilermakers, Dawson threw for 3,325 yards and 29 touchdowns, leading the Big Ten Conference in that category during each year. He

2679-641: The time it was constructed, other drums have claimed the title of world's largest, such as the Millennium Drum . In 1961, the Texas and Purdue chapters of Kappa Kappa Psi , an honorary band fraternity, pledged to bring their drums to the national convention in Wichita, Kansas , for a direct comparison; however, only Purdue showed up. No official side-by-side comparative measurement has ever been made, but larger bass drums have been constructed since. In 2012,

2736-422: The trip. The carriage is built upon a Ford Model A back axle and wheelbase. The rims are steel wire spoke rims common during the 1910s in the racing circuit. The drum is handled by a crew of six or seven, who are selected for their strength and agility. They painstakingly rehearse every movement of the drum to assure its being in the right place at the right time in accordance with the precise timing necessary for

2793-711: Was MVP of the football team and was named outstanding Ohio back of the year by the International News Service . A three-sport athlete, Dawson set school records in football and basketball, and was the first athlete in 13 years to be named first-team all-state in both sports during the same year. During the recruiting process, Dawson had to choose between the Ohio State University in Columbus and Purdue University in Indiana . While he

2850-633: Was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. After playing college football at Purdue , Dawson began his NFL career in 1957, spending three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and two with the Cleveland Browns . He left the NFL in 1962 to sign with

2907-546: Was completed the following year. In 1939, Chicago disbanded its football program and the drum was placed in storage, allegedly becoming irradiated as a result of studies relating to the Manhattan Project . It was eventually returned to Conn in Elkhart, Indiana , after it passed a Geiger test. It was sold to the University of Texas at Austin for $ 1 in 1954, where it was nicknamed " Big Bertha ". The Purdue Drum

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2964-616: Was especially notable given that Dawson had been mistakenly linked to a gambling scandal (by an unrelated gentleman who was named Donald Dawson) in the days leading up to the game. On November 1, 1970, the Chiefs led the Oakland Raiders 17–14 late in the fourth quarter. Facing third and long, a run by Dawson apparently sealed victory for the Chiefs, but as Dawson lay on the ground, he was speared by Raiders' defensive end Ben Davidson , who dove into Dawson with his helmet, provoking Chiefs' receiver Otis Taylor to attack Davidson. After

3021-473: Was named third-team All-American in 1956 . He was an All-Big Ten quarterback during the 1955 and 1956 seasons. While at Purdue, Dawson was initiated into the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity . Dawson was the fifth overall selection in the 1957 NFL draft , taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers , but he was unable to make an impact. Following his rookie season in 1957 , his status became more tenuous when

3078-399: Was refurbished in 1937 when the natural wood finish was replaced by an old gold diamond pattern and several inches were added to the drum's size. With the arrival of World War II, the Big Bass Drum was put into storage as the materials required such as animal skin drum heads and rubber tires were not supportive of the war effort. By the time Al Wright became Purdue's director of bands in 1954,

3135-595: Was reluctant to take over Woody Hayes ' split-T offense with the Buckeyes, the true reason he selected Purdue stemmed from the rapport he had established with assistant coach Hank Stram , beginning a friendship that would last for more than a half-century. As a sophomore in 1954 , Dawson's first as the Boilermakers ' quarterback, he was the NCAA 's leader in pass efficiency, while also playing defense and serving as

3192-426: Was selected by his peers as a Sporting News 1966 AFL All-League player. Though he threw for more than 2,000 yards in each of the previous seven campaigns, Dawson's 1969 season with Kansas City would be his most memorable because of his dramatic comeback from a knee injury suffered in the season's second game. The injury was at first feared to be season-ending, but after missing five games, Dawson went on to lead

3249-506: Was the first time in 42 years that the BBD had missed a performance with the Purdue Band. In 1907 the Purdue All-American Marching Band was the first marching band to break ranks and form a block letter on the field. During the pregame show, the drum is positioned in the 'P' formed by the marching band and spins while the band plays " Hail Purdue! ". Being part of the official band of the Indianapolis 500 ,

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