Highty-Tighties

In 1896, the band, along with the entire corps, traveled to Roanoke, Virginia for the first annual Thanksgiving Day VPI-VMI football game and pre-game parade to the stadium.

The War Department authorized the organization of bands of twenty-four pieces for the volunteer infantry regiments.

In 1901, the band played "The Thunderer" for John Philip Sousa at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York.

The band played "Dixie" 72 consecutive times in 1902 at the Charleston Exposition, setting the world record.

John Philip Sousa met each member of the band personally in 1904 at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (100th anniversary celebration that was delayed for one year) in St. Louis, Missouri.

The VPI Cadet Band played in their first of several Presidential Inaugural Parades for President Woodrow Wilson in 1917.

Wilfred Preston ("Pete") Maddux, a trombone and baritone player in the Highty-Tighties (member of the band from the fall of 1917 to 1919), jointly composed "Tech Triumph" (1985 recording) in 1919 along with Mattie Walton Eppes (Boggs).

The Band gained a nickname while marching at the Richmond parade, honoring Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch of France in 1921.

The drum major caught the mace off the bounce and still rendered a proper salute to the reviewing officer.

However, history states that the name came from a cheer that was invented when the band was housed in Division E, the fifth stairwell of Lane Hall.

The Highty-Tighties formed several musical units within the band over the years, including In addition to home coming parades and home and away football pre-game and halftime shows, the Highty-Tighties have marched and played at all manner of events within Virginia and elsewhere.