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

Service Location	Boxes
Archives Research Center, 1707 S. Orchard Street	Box 01-04

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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: Band Concerts, Bands (Music), Concerts, Eastern Illinois University, High School Music, Jazz, Military Music, Millikin University, Radio

Formats/Genres: Photographs, Scrapbooks, Sound Recordings

Languages: English

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

Band Concerts
Bands (Music)
Concerts
Eastern Illinois University
High School Music
Jazz
Military Music
Millikin University
Radio

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 1: Sound Recordings, 1977-2002

Contains recordings of Duane Wickiser's professional music recordings with various groups, and at festivals, as well as recordings of him playing in Georgia Southern University groups. Cassettes are arranged in numerical order, which is shown by a numbered label on each cassette case and sometimes on cassette. The labels were assigned by Duane Wickiser. Accompanying each cassette was a note card describing the contents and performers on each cassette, and occasionally descriptions of events related to the performer. The note cards can be found in numerical order in Box 3, folder 1. The LP albums are arranged in alphabetical order by album title.

Box 1

Cassette 1: C-35 TV Commercial, 1982
Cassette 2: C-76 First Concert, Georgia Southern Jazz Band, 1977
Cassette 3: C-77 Georgia Southern Orchestra, ca. 1977
Cassette 4: C-79 Faculty Recital, 1982: Duane Wickiser, tenor saxophone..
Cassette 5: C-80 Frankie Avalon and Bob Hope Show, 1980: Duane Wickiser playing tenor saxophone, flute, and clarinet.
Cassette 6: C-117 Savannah Jazz Festival, 1986: Duane Wickiser, tenor saxophone solos.
Cassette 7: C-190 Jazz Quintet Inaugural Ball, undated: Duane Wickiser, tenor saxophone.
Cassette 8: C-191 Jazz Quintet, Inaugural Ball, undated: Duane Wickiser, tenor saxophone.
Cassette 9: C-198 First Set of Inaugural Ball, 1988
Cassette 10: C-199 Second and Third Sets of Inaugural Ball, 1988
Cassette 11: C-393 Coastal Jazz Orchestra, 1991: Duane Wickiser, tenor saxophone solos.
Cassette 12: C-427 Augusta: Georgia Southern Jazz Band Concert, 1990
Cassette 13: C-429 Coastal Jazz Association Jazz Band, 1990: Duane Wickiser, tenor saxophone.
Cassette 14: C-436 Coastal Jazz Association Big Band, 1990: Duane Wickiser, jazz tenor sax solos.
Cassette 15: C-441 Ken James Band, 1990
Cassette 16: C-442 Ken James Band, 1990: Duane Wickiser, tenor saxophone.
Cassette 17: C-443 Savannah Coastal Jazz Big Band., 1990: Duane Wickiser, tenor saxophone.
Cassette 18: C-477 Savannah Jazz Festival, 1990: Duane Wickiser, jazz tenor saxophone.,
Cassette 19: C-478 Dardanelle Concert: Faculty Quartet, 1990: Duane Wickiser, saxphone,
Cassette 20: C-484 Coastal Jazz Big Band, undated: Duane Wickiser, tenor saxophone.
Cassette 21: C-515 Coastal Jazz Orchestra, 1991: Duane Wickiser: tenor saxophone solos.
Cassette 22: C-523 Georgia Southern University Jazz Ensemble, 1991: Duane WIckiser, tenor saxophone solos.
Cassette 23: C-564 Savannah Jazz Festival, 1992: Clark Terry with Costal Jazz Association Big Band. Duane Wickiser.
Cassette 24: C-575 Coastal Jazz Association Big Band, 1993
Cassette 25: C-576 Coastal Jazz Association Jazz Band, 1993: Duane Wickiser, tenor saxophone.
Cassette 26: C-581 German Band, 1993: Duane Wickiser, clarinet.
Cassette 27: C-588 Simon Salz Concert, undated: Duane Wickiser, alto flute, side 1; tenor saxophone, side 2.
Cassette 28: C-590 Georgia Southern University Jazz Band, 1993: Duane Wickiser, solo on tenor saxophone and on clarinet.
Cassette 29: C-591 Savannah Jazz Festival, 1994: Duane Wickiser, tenor saxophone.
Cassette 30: C-595 Savannah Jazz Festival, 1995: Duane Wickiser, tenor saxophone solos.
Cassette 31: C-597 Savannah Jazz Festival, 1997: Duane Wickiser, solo on first number.
Cassette 32: C-602 Savannah Jazz Festival, 1998: Duane Wickiser, first two solos.
Cassette 33: C-603 Duane Wickiser Solos, 1999
Cassette 34: C-604 Savannah Jazz Festival, 2000: Duane Wickiser, solo on last number, side B.
Cassette 35: C-606 Bobby Watson, Savannah Jazz Festival, 2002: Duane Wickiser, several solos.
Cassette 36: No Number GSC Ensemble Concert, 1986: No card. Description of contents inside Cassette case.

Box 2

Item 1: Georgia Southern College, The: Concert & Jazz Bands, undated: LP. Side B: Jazz Ensemble, Duane Wickiser, director. Program and personnel information on reverse side of LP jacket.
Item 2: Music at Georgia Southern, undated: LP. On Side B: Jazz Ensemble, Duane WIckiser, director. Program and personnel information on reverse side of LP jacket.
Item 3: Waubonsee Community College Jazz Band, undated: LP. Duane Wickiser, director.
Item 4: Waubonsee Jazz Band, 1976: LP. Director, Duane Wickiser. Programs and personnel information on reverse side of LP jacket.
Item 5: Waubonsee Jazz Band, undated: LP. Duane Wickiser, director. Program and personnel listed on reverse side of LP jacket.
Item 6: Waubonsee Jazz Band Live, The, undated: LP. Duane Wickiser, director. Personnel listed on cover of LP jacket.

Box 3

Folder 1: Note Cards From Cassette Tapes, 1977-2002: In original numerical order provided by Duane Wickiser. Cards provide descriptive information for matching cassette. Cassettes are in Box 1 in matching original numerical order.

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

Series 3: Duane Wickiser Personal Papers, 1950s-2000s

Contains programs and photographs of Duane Wickiser's attendance at Eastern Illinois University, University of Illinois, and North Texas State University. And it contains programs, correspondence and photographs of Duane Wickiser's work as teacher and band member at Georgetown Junior High School, Dwight D. Eisenhower High School, Waubonsee Community College, and Southern Georgia University. Arranged alphabetically by subject.

Box 3

Folder 10: Big Noise From Notre Dame: A History of the Collegiate Jazz Festival by Joseph Kuhn Carey, 1986
Folder 11: Clippings, Concert Programs, Photographs, Notes, 1950s-1980s
Folder 12: Correspondence, ca. 1950s
Folder 13: Correspondence to Duane Wickiser, ca. 1990-2000s
Folder 14: Note Cards with Profiles of Musicians and Personal Memories, 1976-2001
Folder 15: Photograph and Concert Band Programs, 1951-1955: University of Illinois Concert Band programs.
Folder 16: Photographs, Clippings, Notes, Waubonsee Jazz Quartet, ca. 1960s-1970s: Note on back of photograph.
Folder 17: Photographs, Dwight D. Eisenhower High School, ca. 1957-1965
Folder 18: Scrapbook Pages, 1950s
Folder 19: Tenure Papers, Georgia Southern College, 1981

Box 4

Folder 1: Collage, undated
Folder 2: Photograph in Paris, undated: Duane Wickiser with group in Paris.