We need your help with these mystery photos! Who are these people, and what’s the story? Email us at krb96@cornell.edu and of42@cornell.edu to tell us and we’ll publish your response!
1992
“The top photo (Aardvark off of Olin), the bandie to the far left is Fred Archer ’94.”
- Nicole (Vantuno) Wagner ’94
“That photo on Olin Library is of the tuba section. I believe the two Aardvarkers are Greg Carlson ’93 and me. The others, from left to right, are Avi Agarwal ’95, can’t tell who this is, Adam Reeve ’96, Eric Smith ’94 and Ralph Ciotti ‘95.”
- Thomas P. LaFalce, Jr. ’94
1992
“The second photo of the trumpets, bottom row with blue jacket sleeves is Jason Moore ’94. I’m sorry I don’t know more names off the top of my head, or stories behind the photos. Fun to see though, thanks for sharing!”
- Nicole (Vantuno) Wagner ’94
1995
1997
1990
“I wasn’t around this particular year, but in 80′s one of the fraternities ran a charity fundraiser called “Ugly Man on Campus”. The Tubas would campaigned as a section, play some Tuba tunes, and shake their instruments which were filled with coins and the audience would respond by throwing more money into their bells. The winner of the Ugly Man on Campus contest was determined by how much each raised. The Tuba section always did well.”
– Kurt, Bone 1980 – 1985
1993
“The Tic/Tac/Toe from ’93 has Chris Stuhlmiller in the middle (her married name). She used to live in Cleveland with her husband Chris (also a BRB alum.)”
– Kevin Stark, clarinet ’91
1958
“In the photo from 1958 the gentleman on the left is William Campbell, the director of bands for many years including ’47-‘52 when I was a clarinetist-member of both the Big Red Band and the Concert Band. He appears to be laying down the law to his companion, but I have no idea what it was about . He was a pretty gentle and congenial person.”
- John Wootton, Class of ‘51
“In the 1958 photo, that is Prof. William Campbell on the left, head Band Director, pretending to chew out Henry Romersa who was just hired to be the new assistant director in charge of formations. Maybe someone stepped out of line or didn’t do 8 steps to 5 yards? The sign in the background was used for taking pictures of each of the band members along with Prof. Campbell to send to the students’ local newspapers. I vaguely remember seeing that photo when it first came out. Lots of water under the bridge since then!! (or should I say ‘over the falls’?)”
-Bob Hoyler, clarinet, EE ’63 (started in Fall 1958 on 5-year engineering program)
“I’m probably the 4,328th person to ID this pic. It’s “Mr. C,” and “Mr. R,” more specifically Professor William Campbell (Left), head of the band program and Director of the Concert Band — and Chairman of the Music Department — and Professor Henry Romersa (Right), Director of the Rep Band and the Big Red Dancing Turkeys.”
- Tom Atwood ’63 1/2
“I very much enjoyed the picture in the latest BRB Notes of Professors Campbell and Romersa from 1958, the year I arrived at Cornell. They were talented taskmasters. They knew how to work us and make us love them at the same time.”
- Marc A. Gerber ’62
1973
1942-1943
1989
“In the 1989 photo, the guy holding the orange sign looks like Doug Onsi.”
- Joshua Abelson
“From left to right: dersk, Marc Goldman, Jon (whose last name I’ve forgotten), Marshall Kohen, Doug Onsi all class of 90. Jon was the head field manager and was super stressed out, so we had a small “We appreciate Jon” rally to cheer him up.”
- dersk, bone
1984
“You’ve got Dana Gerrard in two of the photos – one as an alum (with the crazy trombone thing) and with the apple and his Tuba-Partner-In-Crime Cliff Strat.”
- Stacey Montalto
“The main people in the picture are likely alumni. The white painter’s cap was passed out to alumni in my day. This trombone hung out in the back or on top of a cabinet in the old Band Room in Barton Hall. This picture was taken in the Band Room and was likely taken during Homecoming weekend during the morning rehearsal as there are coffee cups in this picture. I tried it once. It sounded awful. I don’t know who owned it or what became of it. I’m wondering if this is from slightly before 1984 as I don’t recognize the people in the picture – even in the background. It is possible the guy in the background on the far left with beard might be Rich Gordon ’85, a former pep band directory and clarinet.”
- John van Gelder ‘87, Baritone Horn
“I believe this was at taken at Homecoming with an Alumnus trying out the “Turkey-bone”. This multiple slide/valved/Bell instrument sat atop the lockers for most the season, but traditionally was taken out and played by the senior trombone player for the last home game of the season. Unfortunately I don’t recognize the player in the photo.”
- Kurt, Bone 1980 – 1985
2000
circa 1976-1980
“Dana and Cliff – the heart and soul of the Tuba section, in either ’78 or ’79. No two people wreaked more havoc on the drum major and other responsible bandies than these two. This may have been the beginning of the ‘Ugly’ era of the tuba section. I only spent one year in their section, but still have the scars, both physical and mental, to prove it. I still laugh out loud when I remember watching and sometimes participating in their antics. “Tea for Tubas” solo anyone? Good times.”
- Stephan Roy
“You’ve got Dana Gerrard in two of the photos – one as an alum (with the crazy trombone thing) and with the apple and his Tuba-Partner-In-Crime Cliff Strat.”
- Stacey Montalto
“Brings back memories (I can almost remember the player with the “unknown bandsman”, a variation of the “unknown comic” from the TV game show “The Gong Show” where the comedian wore the paper bag over his head.”
- Kurt, Bone 1980 – 1985
2004
“From left to right, the people are: Michael “Deuce” Borzcik ’05, Nathan Olson ’05, Ben Johnson ’04, Tori Ball ’05, Joel Villanueva, Jason Scott ’04, and Bri Olson ’07. They are all trumpets, and Tori was the drum major at the time. We had found a bunch of old uniforms in the back room of the old band room, and so they decided to all try them on. I am not 100% sure, but I think they were all old drum major uniforms. There isn’t really much more of a story than that, but it was cool to see all the different types of uniforms that the band had used in the past.”
- Jeremy Kerman ’06