“Led onto the field by…” our Drum Majors!
Since the early days, the drum major has stepped forward to lead the band onto the field, in parades, and has served as the “face of the band” at many community events.
One early drum major, Myron McKelvey, is even responsible for part of that great Ohio State tradition of “dotting the i”. It seems that McKelvey, who served as the Ohio State drum major in 1938, was about 4 measures too early in leading the sousaphone to the top of the “i”. Unsure what to do, that sousaphone player removed his hat and bowed to the crowd. It was so well received that that element remains to this day.
While not exclusively a “boy’s club”, the MTSB has only had a handful of girls lead the band. Prior to 2020, a young lady from the majorette line would step up to fill the role, splitting her time between her duties as a majorette and drum major. Frequently, the position was categorized as “head majorette” or “featured twirler”. For the 2020 MTSB, history was made twice as the band had not only its first true female drum major, but two drum majors on the field at the same time!
Drum Majors
| 2024 | Jase Hannan |
| 2023 | Jase Hannan |
| 2022 | Miriam Joseph |
| 2021 | Brandon Johnson & Miriam Joseph |
| 2020 | Brandon Johnson & Miriam Joseph Miriam Joseph – first female drum major (non-majorette) |
| 2019 | Brandon Johnson |
| 2018 | Keaton Gibbs |
| 2017 | Keaton Gibbs |
| 2016 | Jordan Smith |
| 2015 | Jordan Smith |
| 2014 | Mason Harp |
| 2013 | Dan McCullough |
| 2012 | Dan McCullough |
| 2011 | Dan McCullough |
| 2010 | Matt Smith |
| 2009 | Matt Smith |
| 2008 | Nicolette Airhart Head Majorette |
| 2007 | Nicolette Airhart Featured Twirler |
| 2006 | Nick Randolph |
| 2005 | Jeremy Grimes |
| 2004 | Jeremy Grimes |
| 2003 | Roger Wacker II |
| 2002 | Roger Wacker II |
| 2001 | Roger Wacker II |
| 2000 | Angie Wallick Featured Twirler |
| 1999 | Antonio Heath |
| 1998 | Antonio Heath |
| 1997 | Dan Kerstetter |
| 1996 | Larry Bridges |
| 1995 | No Drum Major |
| 1994 | No Drum Major |
| 1993 | No Drum Major |
| 1992 | No Drum Major |
| 1991 | No Drum Major |
| 1990 | No Drum Major |
| 1989 | No Drum Major |
| 1988 | No Drum Major |
| 1987 | Julie Meinhart Drum Majorette |
| 1986 | Julie Meinhart Drum Majorette |
| 1985 | Kelley McCauley Drum Majorette |
| 1984 | Don Juan Jones |
| 1983 | Don Juan Jones |
| 1982 | Don Juan Jones |
| 1981 | Avonte Dixon |
| 1980 | Mike Allshouse |
| 1979 | David Stoner |
| 1978 | Sandy Lawson Drum Majorette |
| 1977 | Sandy Lawson Drum Majorette |
| 1976 | Paula Bender Drum Majorette |
| 1975 | Ken Morrison |
| 1974 | Heywood McGriff |
| 1973 | Heywood McGriff |
| 1972 | Heywood McGriff |
| 1971 | John Edel |
| 1970 | John Edel |
| 1969 | John Givens |
| 1968 | Marion Fetters |
| 1967 | Jeff Moser |
| 1966 | Jeff Moser |
| 1965 | Dennis Gillom |
| 1964 | Dennis Gillom First African American Drum Major |
| 1963 | Jim Seifert |
| 1962 | Jim Seifert |
| 1961 | Jim Seifert |
| 1960 | Phil Bucci |
| 1959 | Michael Dennison |
| 1958 | Dennis Ingram |
| 1957 | Dennis Ingram |
| 1956 | Ronald Prunty |
| 1955 | Ronnie Prunty |
| 1954 | Ted Stults |
| 1953 | Ted Stults |
| 1952 | Ronnie Swearingen |
| 1951 | Russel Mowrey |
| 1950 | Russel Mowrey |
| 1949 | Bob Mang |
| 1948 | Bob Mang |
| 1947 | Warren Mathey |
| 1946 | Warren Mathey |
| 1945 | Gene Kent |
| 1944 | Gene Kent |
| 1943 | William Luttrell |
| 1942 | Robert Levers |
| 1941 | Glenn Kent |
| 1940 | Donald Kent |
| 1939 | Clayton Bergdorf |
| 1938 | Clayton Bergdorf |
| 1937 | Gernel McClintock |
| 1936 | Gernel McClintock |
| 1935 | Walter White |
| 1934 | Myron McKelvey Post-graduate |
| 1933 | Myron McKelvey Post-graduate |
| 1932 | Myron McKelvey |
| 1931 | Myron McKelvey |
| 1927 | Vernon Bonstell |
| 1926 | Robert Akeret |
| 1924 | C.M. Layton School principal |
| 1919 | Albert Giltz School janitor |
