In Praise of Alumni Ties

Scanning the latest PAW, I thought back to my coffee with Rag Osborn 1907, the founder of the Princeton Band and composer of several major school songs still sung today. Mr. Osborn died in 1965 or ’66 (the obit histories differ) around age 80. His practice in the early ’60s (at least) was to have a coffee with the incoming Band president. In my case this would have been sometime in my 1963-64 tenure, probably early on during 1963 concert band season. I still recall this old gentleman (I am now older than he was at the time) touching base with the organization he founded. He would have graduated about seven years after PAW was founded.

His mind was sharp, although he seemed physically older than a 78-year-old man might today. He recounted a story of the composition of one of his songs. But I was impressed with his spirit and commitment to the school and the Band.