Although it looks like it's going to be postponed or cancelled, my class 50th reunion is (was?) scheduled for next month. That got us discussing how many last's we were. One of them mentioned was we were the last class only to rehearse indoors in Happy Happy Herrington. The Adams Band Building opened in the fall of 1970.

So my curiosity has the better of me. Does anybody know were the FTAB rehearsed prior to moving into HHH ?

So, was the upper floor of Dorm 11 a practice space from the time it was built in 1939? Or was it converted later?

I've always been told that Bizzell was the BQ dorm pre-1939. If so, it was across the street from Guion Hall, so I suspect practice was held in Guion.

Have posted this question on the BQ Facebook Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/679713942079842/

CA......I've let a little grass grow on this, but I want to thank you for your prompt, courteous , on-point reply. You don't always get that on here.

Were you able to see the Facebook page? If not, I'll copy/paste some of that info here.

CanyonAg77 said:

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Were you able to see the Facebook page? If not, I'll copy/paste some of that info here.

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I would sure appreciate that. Thanks in advance,

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A post on TexAgs posed a question that some on here might be able to answer. E.V, Adams Band Building opened in the Fall of 1970 (according to the poster) And of course, before that, the Band practiced on the south end of the 4th stoop of Dorm 11 (Happy Happy Harrington). Which by the time I showed up in the Fall of 1973, had been converted to dorm rooms.

He wanted to know where the Band practiced before that.

I've always been told that before the "new area" was built, circa 1939, Bizzell Hall was the BQ Dorm. Since Guion Hall was across the street, I assume they practiced there.

It also raised a question for me. Was Dorm 11 built with the practice room on top from the beginning, in 1939, or was that area created later?

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This post from Bryan-College Station, TX: Now and Then talks about the original A&M Consolidated building when it was on campus, but also calls it the Old Music Hall.

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A&M Consolidated School on Campus/ Old Music Hall

Built in 1920-21.

Brad Lancaster posted this photo and said:"This is the original A&M Consolidated school building on the A&M campus. It was located on the north end of where the corps dorms are located now, where Joe Routte Blvd dead ends.

This building was built in about 1920 and sat with the front doors facing Kyle field. My dad can remember sitting in his fifth grade classroom on the second floor on the right end of this building and watching the new corps dorms being built in 1938-39. My dad also had a history class in this building as a college student at A&M in the late 40's after the public school moved to the building on Jersey St."

Brad's Dad, Bill Lancaster, told us this building was built in 1920-21.

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MUSIC HALL. The old music hall on the Texas A&M campus was once used as classrooms for the campus kids and others. It was torn down many years ago to make room for larger buildings as class is grew in size."

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Brad Lancaster contributed this photo, which shows the new 1939 dorms, as well as the old A&M Consolidated Building/Music Hall.

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I think I remember seeing that building in the fall of 1960. My older brother was a fish in an air crapper unit. A&M didn't work out for him but it put a seed in my brain and he encouraged me to try.

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I think, based on seeing the south end of the 4th stoop of Dorm 11 once in Apr70 during my obligatory HS visit to LTC Adams and the Aggie Band, that it was built that way originally back in 1937-1938.

LTC Adams' office was in what would turn into a SB room opposite of the stairway on the south end. He spent about 5 minutes semi politely talking to me, not too impressed though, saying that I was welcome to join the band but as just another fish Jones. And that 1/2 of us would quit next year. He was right but I wasn't one of the quitters.....LOL

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When I was a fish in the fall of '89 and then in the Spring of '90 they demoed internal dorm 11. we saw the original band hall....as it was.

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I'll give you one fact ... when I was coordinating the Class of '69 funded restoration of the Bugle Stand and development of Bugle Stand Plaza, I had a few meetings with the architects and construction managers for the quad redevelopment.

After they started working on Dorm 11, I had a phone call from the architect asking me "what was the use of Dorm 11 in 1965"? He went on to further explain that when they opens up the 4th floor of 11 there were heavy beams on the S end that were NOT in any of the rest of the dorms. His opinion was that it was built that way ... not remodeled at any time.

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In 2003 I was asked by the family of Ed Hornikel '42 to spread his ashes on the drill field, which I did that summer. I remember him talking about practicing on it back then. I am thinking the drill field was laid out and used soon after the 'New Area' dorms were open for occupancy, which I think was in fall of '39 but that is an educated guess.

Back in '95 as secretary of the SA A&M Club I got to interview/write up an article for the monthly newsletter on Paul Walker '37 whose first job after graduating from Architectural department was to help oversee construction of the 'New Area' dorm complex. Cushing Library website has some good pix of all that construction.

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Not sure if the "Haney" field is in the same spot as the original but one Class of '43 told me that though he was in the "fish band in '39, they would march (?) to Dorm 11 to practice. I'm relatively certain the field was moved about 20 yards to the south when it was crowned and regraded. There is also some evidence that it was originally on the s end of Dorm 11 - that was the "zip" parking lot until the Adams building was built.

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Don't know if you mess with Facebook at all, but groups like the BQ group are one of the decent things there. It would be enhanced with input from our more senior members....of which I'm quickly becoming one.

Just stay away from anything political on FB. It is a sewer.

Vaguely remember the A&M Consolidated building being next to dorm 2 across from the P.O. the barber shop and George's cafe in 1945. Is that correct ?

Don't remember what we called it . Or what it was used for - not band practice because it was next to Dorm 2 and I would have heard it .

Dorm 11 was built circa 1939, so by your time at Aggieland, practice would have been moved there. The original question was where Band practice was pre-1939.

Some say it was in that building, as was A&M Consolidated School. Both had moved by your day, so there could have been a lot of other things using it then.

CA ,,,,,,You mentioned two fine gentlemen and great Texas Aggies. I knew both of them, but I don't recall ever addressing them by their first names. Those were men of my father's generation and that's the way I was raised.

If you visited HHH in April of 1970, we probably passed in the hall. I was the tall good looking guy in the boots.

Wherever those rafter beams are now, I assure you my finger prints are still on them.

You misunderstand. Those are posts from other people that I quoted. I redacted their names.

1950's

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cushinglibrary/3546373695/in/album-72157618405816879/

CanyonAg77 said:

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Dorm 11 was built circa 1939, so by your time at Aggieland, practice would have been moved there. The original question was where Band practice was pre-1939.

Some say it was in that building, as was A&M Consolidated School. Both had moved by your day, so there could have been a lot of other things using it then.

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Picture from the 1941 Longhorn of the Aggie Band, could it be on the drill field by dorm 11?

Could be. The grass looks bad enough.

By the way, the Band needs to bring back the white Sam Browne belts!

OldArmy71 said:

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By the way, the Band needs to bring back the white Sam Browne belts!

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We wore a single white belt with Class A Winters. 1983-86

Another comment. The Drum Majors are the only ones wearing boots!

Aggie Band Sweater from the 1940 Longhorn: