WSU School of Music 125 Anniversary Celebration
The Celebration
In 2026-27, the WSU School of Music will proudly celebrate 125 years of artistry, educational growth, collaboration, and community. To honor this milestone, we are creating a special anniversary collection shaped by the people who know our story best — you.
Photo: Chorus rehearsal, May 8, 1955 (Photo by Lloyd E. Rogers/Washington State University)
Share Your Experiences and Memories
Please share your experiences and memories of the School of Music for a book project to be completed this spring. (Deadline: September 1, 2026)
- Written remembrances or reflections (favorite teachers, memorable moments)
- Photographs (performances, classes, campus life, or personal moments, with names, dates, and descriptions)
- Audio or video recordings (with names, dates, and descriptions)
- Programs, posters, or other meaningful memorabilia
- Your personal and professional successes and how the School of Music contributed
Photo: Two students from the WSC Opera Workshop performing a scene from “Old Maid and the Thief” by Gian Carlo Menotti on May 20, 1955. (photo by Washington State University, Office of University Publications and Printing)
Join the Celebration
Whether your contribution is a brief memory or a treasured recording, your memories will help us to share the rich and evolving story of our school and the generations of musicians and educators who have passed through its halls.
Thank you for being part of our legacy. We look forward to celebrating this remarkable anniversary together — and to hearing your voice in our shared history. And stay posted for news on a gala concert in spring 2027 to celebrate, we can’t wait!
Photo: Band outdoors for Campus Day entertainment on May 15, 1924 (photo by Myron Samuel Huckle/Washington State University)
Upcoming Events
- February 19, 2027 – 125th Gala Concert in Beasley Coliseum, reception to follow.
- February 20, 2027 – School of Music Connection Day: Join us for a day of sharing stories, impacts and music. The day’s events will include breakfast, informal activities and events, a 3:00pm Alumni concert in Kimbrough Concert Hall, and we will finish the day with an open mic night for WSU musicians at Rico’s in downtown Pullman, WA.
Stories from WSU School of Music History
About “Agony Hall”
The music conservatory, informally known as “Agony Hall”, was built in 1905 in the common parlance of the campus. It consisted of 16 practice rooms, offices and a small auditorium. Van Doran Hall is seen in the background. It was originally funded by Pullman’s five Malotte sisters, who proposed to the university that they’d buy the property ($500) and build the hall ($5900) in exchange for a lease of just $50 per month. The college purchased the property outright in 1919 for the Malottes’ original 1905 outlay. The building was razed during Christmas break of 1963 to make room for Kimbrough Hall.
History of Jazz at Washington State University
Jazz at Washington State University has a long rich history. Louis Armstrong and his band, the All Stars, headlined the Washington State College (now University) Junior Prom in the spring of 1951 in the Bohler Gymnasium. Tickets cost $3.25 per couple, and the theme was “Bayou Blues.” Ella Fitzgerald performed here also inside the Bohler Gym, headlining Jazz at the Philharmonic, on November 5, 1952. The Evergreen advertised tickets for $1.80, and described the show as a “concertized jam session.” Dave Brubeck and the Brubeck quartet performed in the CUB ballroom on January 12, 1955. The first School of Music big band, called the Lab Band, was established as an elective in the 1970s. The leader was trombone professor Michael Olsavsky.
Photo: WSC Jazz band on stage with instruments, 1921/1928. (photo by Myron Samuel Huckle/Washington State University)
About the Orchestra
Alfred M. Boyington came to Pullman in 1933 as an instructor of violin and director of orchestra at what was then Washington State College. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1941. In 1942, he was granted a military leave during World War II. He resumed his teaching at WSU in 1946 and was promoted to associate professor the same year. During the 1946-47 academic year, he was elevated to the rank of full professor. Throughout his professional career at WSU, he always taught violin and directed the orchestra. Associate professor, Barton Frank, cello, may be directing the orchestra on this occasion in the photo. Dr. Boyington is serving as concert master.
Bryan Hall History
Assuming the name on the photo of Bryan Hall at the top of this page was written at the time the picture was taken, the photo cannot predate 1915, when the Bryan name was proposed. The image was part of a set which was presumably sold out of a Pullman store. In 1909, Washington State College (later Washington State University) built its first building designed for housing a library, Bryan Hall. The north half of the building housed the library, and the south half housed the auditorium. Despite tales that the clock was not installed until 1912, it can be seen in the 1910-1911 yearbook. The clockfaces were lit in December of 1946. The chimes were apparently installed in summer of 1948. Originally built as the principal library and assembly hall, it commemorates Dr. E. A. Bryan, who was president from 1893 to 1916 and was responsible for the development of WSU to a major educational institution.
