Finding Aid for Duane Wickiser Papers and Recordings, 1920-2008 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

By Carol Berthold, Claire Kittell, and Nolan Vallier

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Collection Overview

Title: Duane Wickiser Papers and Recordings, 1920-2008

ID: 12/9/176

Primary Creator: Wickiser, Duane (1933-2008)

Extent: 0.75 cubic feet

Arrangement: Organized in three series: Series 1, Sound Recordings, 1977-2002; Series 2, Duane Wickiser and Herschel Gow Band Photographs and Records, 1920-ca. 1960; and Series 3 Duane Wickiser Personal Papers, 1950s-2000s.

Date Acquired: 01/17/2023

Subjects: Bands (Music), Jazz, Photographs

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Consists of correspondence, photographs, programs, photocopied newspapers, cassette audio tape recordings and published LP recordings documenting the personal and professional music career of Duane Wickiser. Also contains materials from Herschel Dow, Wickiser's uncle, who played with The Vagabonds during the 1930s and 40s. Wickiser's personal papers document career as a professional jazz musician with various music ensembles including the US 4th Army Band, and his work as a K-12 music educator with the Waubonsee Community College and Southern Georgia University. His personal papers document his student career at Eastern Illinois University and Millikin University.

Biographical Note

Duane Wickiser was born November 22, 1933, in Mattoon, Ill. He married Lottie Mikulski in 1963. Duane was involved in music his entire life and was a professional musician who started his career playing with "big bands" at the age of 16. He passed away November 3, 2008 at the age of 74.

He was a veteran, serving in the U.S. Army (1957-1959) and was a member of the Fourth Army Band in San Antonio, Texas. He obtained his Bachelor of Art in Music from Eastern Illinois University in 1960 and his Master in Music (M.M.E.) in 1965 from Millikin University with a dissertation, “A Progressive Method on How to Improvise.” He first taughts at Georgetown Junior High School and then Dwight D. Eisenhower High School, before getting a position at Waubonsee Community College. During his time in collegiate music he led groups to winning the International Jazz Intercollegiate Competition in London, England in 1972 and the Notre Dame Jazz Internationale Competition in 1974. He spent the next 31 years in this field, until his retirement in 1992, from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. While teaching and in his retirement Wickiser performed with his saxophone in Jazz ensembles and festivals.

Subject/Index Terms

Bands (Music)
Jazz
Photographs

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Acquisition Source: Jo Anne (Wickiser) Henry

Acquisition Method: Gift.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Sound Recordings, 1977-2002],
[Series 2: Duane Wickiser and Herschel Dow Band Photographs and Records, ca. 1920-2000],
[Series 3: Duane Wickiser Personal Papers, 1950s-2000s],
[All]

Series 2: Duane Wickiser and Herschel Dow Band Photographs and Records, ca. 1920-2000

Contains correspondence, programs and photographs of Duane Wickiser's work for various traveling jazz bands and army bands, including: Ralph Flanagan Orchestra, Vikings Accordion Band, Six Fat Dutchmen, Russ Carlyle Band, The Velvetones, The Starlighters and others. It also contains photographs and ephemera of Wickiser's Uncle, Herschel Dow, and his musical career work with the Vagabonds and other groups. Series 2 is arranged into two subseries called Sub-series 1: Duane Wickiser and Sub-series 2: Herschel Dow and The Vagabonds.

Sub-Series 1: Duane Wickiser, 1950-2000s

Contains photographs and ephemera from Duane Wickiser's time in the Army Band and various traveling jaxx bands. Arranged alphabetically by subject.

Box 3

Folder 2: 4th Army Band Duane Wickiser Photographs, 1957-1958: Notes inside or on back of photograph identify Duane Wickiser.
Folder 3: Georgia Years Photographs, ca. 1990s-2000s: Photos of Duane Wickiser. Description of photos on back of photo.
Folder 4: Photographs From Bands, ca. 1950s-1960s: Photographs from Big Bands that Duane Wickiser performed with. Some notes identify band or Wickiser.
Folder 5: Photographs, Postcards and Business Cards, 1950-1956: Bands included: Russ Carlyle, Flanagan, Viking Accordian Band, Jimmy Palmer Band, Johnny Bruce, and Gene Trimble's Orchestra. Notes on back of photographs identify band and/or Duane Wickiser.

Sub-Series 2: Herschel Dow and The Vagabonds, 1920s-1950s

Contains photographs, records and ephemera of Herschel Dow's music career. Arranged alphabetically by subject.

Box 3

Folder 6: Darnell Boys' Band, Photographs and Business Cards, ca. 1920s: Notes on back of some photos.
Folder 7: Photocopies From Radio Show Script and Book on Cato's Vagabonds, undated
Folder 8: Photographs, Postcards and Business Cards, ca. 1920s: Note on back of one photo identifies Herschel Dow.
Folder 9: Scrapbook of Clippings From Big Band Era, ca. 1920s-1950s