It’s impossible to identify all of the bands that UR students have played in over the years, but clues can be found in The Collegian and in yearbooks.  Here are several student bands that left their mark in these publications:

“The Collegians” is a name that has been favored by Richmond student bands over the years.   In the early 1930s, Mike Kent’s Richmond Collegians played for numerous dances held in Millhiser Gym, as well as one notable gig at Washington & Lee.  In the summers of 1935 and 1936, Cunard hired the Richmond Collegians to play for passengers on their cruise ships.

Another incarnation of The Collegians surfaced in the 1940s, playing at bimonthly Westhampton College tea dances.  In 1941 the UR Collegians won a battle of the bands against the Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets.  About ten years later, a new crop of Richmond Collegians, led by Charles Scott, was recognized by Metronome magazine as the third-best college dance band in the country.

The Hungry Five Plus One (The Web, 1956)

“The Hungry Five Plus One,” a novelty band started in 1955 by Music professor Mark Troxell, consisted of a clarinet, saxophone, cornet, trombone, Sousaphone, and drums.  Another member seems to have been added in 1957, when they became “The Hungry Five Plus Two.” This band entertained at fraternity parties and orientation events, and though short-lived, it was featured in the 1956 yearbook.

The Web (1956): concert band, marching band (with women), pep band (with women), Hungry Five Plus One, The Collegians