Rocereto. The band gave its first home concert on 5 April 1922 in the Carnegie Music Hall and was composed of male musicians from multiple schools within the university. In the late 1930s, Pitt’s military department took over direction of the band and enrollment became restricted to ROTC members. Band uniforms were military-like with cross belts and members had to pass rigid musical aptitude and marching tests. From 1939 to 1971, Robert “Ace” Arthur was the director of the band. Under his leadership in the 1940s the Pitt Band developed a national reputation and was considered by some among the top collegiate marching bands in the nation. The band during this period performed the halftime show of the 1956 Sugar Bowl, and the band provided a presidential escort for president Dwight D. Eisenhower at Fort Ligonier in 1958. Arthur was succeeded by a director, Edmund Williams, who only stayed for one year, who was succeeded in turn by Donald E. Hower. Hower led the band from 1972 to 1985, and its numbers grew considerably under Hower in line with the rebirth of football program from the mid 1970s. Female musicians first joined the band in 1972, and the baton twirling majorette corps, the Golden Girls, was added around 1975. This incarnation of the band played at the 1977 Sugar Bowl, where Pitt defeated Georgia to become the 1976 national champions. O’Neil Sanford led the band from 1985 to 1995 and added a 16-member color guard. However, his time was marked by a decline not only in the fortunes of the football team, but also declining interest in the band—reflected in the falling numbers of marching musicians as the years went on, as well as the poor morale and discipline which were the hallmarks of his tenure. Sanford was pressured to resign in 1995, because of both the perceived state of the organization as well as a little-reported scandal involving accounting irregularities in his music department. It was at this time that long-time assistant director Jack R. Anderson became director. Under Anderson the band grew once more, becoming one of the largest student organizations on campus. Notable performances under Anderson’s leadership included the 2005 Fiesta Bowl and the 2008 Sun Bowl. The band also celebrated its centennial under Anderson in 2011. On 10 September 2012, Anderson announced his retirement, effective at the conclusion of the 2012–2013 academic year. His successor, Dr.