McAllister's leadership, the band won state championships from 1924 to 1926 and national championships from 1926 to 1928. In their hometown, the band received permanent possession of the trophy in 1928 and was praised by John Philip Sousa (see photo below). The band was exempt to play at the 1929 contest in Denver, but performed as an exhibition group. In 1931, the band regained the national title. In 1936, McAllister lead his young musicians through a week of nine performances at Radio City Music Hall where the band performed an Easter show with the Rockettes, playing for a total of 160,000 people. The band played for draftees, and was known as "the minute men" because they were always ready - day or night to perform for soldiers traveling through Joliet. Mr. McAllister became a nationally recognized leader of the school band movement and was known as "the father of the high school band program." McAllister helped organize the National School Band Association in 1926. He was elected vice-president the same year before serving as president for 14 years. On Sept. 30, 1944, McAllister died at age 63. The Joliet Township High School Band, later the Joliet Central Band, still continues today. It is one of the longest running band and one of the most successful band programs in the country. One of Joliet's nicknames is the "City of Champions." This nickname stems from the numerous state and national titles won by the Joliet Township High School and grade school bands over several decades. Notable alumni Jesse Barfield (1977) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder (1981–92), playing most of his career with the Toronto Blue Jays. He won two Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger. Garland Buckeye, former MLB player (Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, New York Giants). Larry Gura (1965) former MLB pitcher who played from 1970 to 1985 (Cubs, Royals, Yankees) Lois Delander (1931) was, while a student at the school, the first woman to win the Miss Illinois pageant. She then became Miss America 1927. Katherine Dunham (1926) was a dancer, choreographer, civil rights activist, teacher, and anthropologist who was a pioneer in African-American modern dance, dance ethnology. In 1983, she was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor. Merritt Giffin (1908) was an athlete who won a silver medal in the men's discus throw at the 1908 Summer Olympics. John D. Goeken is a telecommunications entrepreneur who founded MCI