Crimson & Gold
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Dear Crimson & Gold
I want to share with Ferris alumni and friends how very impressed I was to read the Winter 2007 article, “It Was 100 Years Ago Today… A Century of Music at Ferris.” The remarks in the article about me were most generous. When a person is at the helm of a program, as I was, serving as director of music activities for nearly 29 years, opportunities for change can and do occur. I was fortunate to have talented and dedicated faculty who were committed to developing and expanding a program for the non-music major. Another important factor, administrative support, particularly of presidents Victor Spathelf and Robert Ewigleben, was vital to the program. In addition to the historical facts in the article, I thought your readers would be interested in some other highlights that took place during my years (1955-83) at Ferris:
• First performance of “Fighting Bulldogs” at Homecoming Band Day, 1958. The song was composed by Graham T. Overgard at my request. Ferris’ previous fight song had the same melody as that of the University of Illinois-Chicago, which made playing it at contests against the U of I pretty awkward.
• 1958 was also the first time the Ferris marching band was featured on TV during half-time of a Detroit Lions game to celebrate the upcoming 75th anniversary of the college.
• The College-Community Band was established in 1965 with the urging and planning of band members Marilyn Schust and James Hilton. As the article noted, community participation was a unique feature of this group, as well as the Festival Chorus, and the Orchestra.
• William Donahue expanded the community participation in the Festival Chorus and Christmas Concert Choral Union; William Munroe inaugurated the Collegiate Singers, a jazz, pop, rock group; and Harry Dempsey developed and expanded the Jazz Ensemble program.
Finally, it is a pleasure to hear that the Festival of the Arts is back. I put forward the idea for the festival to celebrate the school’s 75th anniversary and served as chairman until 1983. Thank you again for the article.
With best wishes,
Dacho Dachoff
Festival of the Arts Returns to Ferris, Big Rapids
 Cartoonist (and former Ferris nursing student) Jef Mallett talked about his syndicated strip “Frazz.” |
 Artist and Big Rapids native Linda Stephen held a workshop/demonstration that focused on her intricate origami landscapes. |
 Ferris’ Theatre presented Moliere’s classic play Tartuffe. |
 Robert Barnum, Ferris’ resident artist, gave the festival’s keynote address. |
On Thursday, Jan. 31, a University and Big Rapids community tradition returned with the opening reception in the Rankin Center Art Gallery for the Festival of the Arts.
The first incarnation of the Festival of the Arts began in the late 1950s as a part of the celebrations of the Ferris Institute’s 75th anniversary. The festival ran for many years under the chairmanship first of Dacho Dachoff followed by William Donahue.
The revitalized festival took place at multiple locations throughout the University and city of Big Rapids. Ferris’ Theatre presented Moliere’s Tartuffe at the G. Mennen Williams Auditorium; Artworks hosted “The Art in War,” an exhibition by photographer, actor (The Wire, Generation Kill) and Marine Corps Delta Company Commanding Officer Benjamin Busch; Jef Mallett, creator of the syndicated cartoon “Frazz,” gave a talk about his career at the Interdisciplinary Resource Center; Ferris’ West Central Concert Band gave its Winter Band Concert under the baton of director Scott Cohen; and the list went on, encompassing everything from origami at City Hall to foreign films at the community library.
“The festival embraced both local talent and events, and welcomed noted artists from around the country,” said Architectural Technology professor Bruce Dilg who helped organize the festival. “The event is designed to become an annual event in the community with a vision of becoming a regional attraction.”
Dilg emphasized that the festival is a jointly sponsored, grassroots event. Sponsorships came from the City of Big Rapids, the Downtown Development Authority, Downtown Business Association, 42 individuals, and advertising sales in the festival booklet. On the University side, major funding came from the President’s Office, Department of Humanities and College of Technology.
“For many years this festival was a wonderful showcase for the arts, and it’s a sign of the vibrancy of this tradition that the festival is back with us,” said Ferris President David Eisler.
In all, the festival staged nearly 50 events in 33 days.