History of the LaGrange High School Band
Early Programs
From the inception of LaGrange High School in 1903, music programs were a part of the school. The 1919 Clarion, the old LHS Annual, notes that the "new band program" is growing. However, the ensemble was a small orchestra of 11 players. Those students, and those in Glee Club, were taught on a subscription basis, where the school sponsored a teacher and used school space, but the students paid an individual fee, or subscription, for their participation. Most students who wanted to be in a Brass Band or Military Band joined one of the ensembles sponsored by the Callaway Foundation.
Mr. Deal Founds the L.H.S. Band
In 1946, a significant change occurred at LaGrange High School; William John Strickland Deal (better known as Bill Deal) was hired as the first full-time music faculty member teaching Band and Chorus. Mr. Deal set about to work immediately, forming the first band during the school year and performing in multiple concerts. This first band must have made a strong impression on the student body and community because the following year, the school annual was dedicated to Mr. Deal and was themed to celebrate music and the band.
Building a consistently Superior Program Mr. Deal was respected and admired by the students and community. He remained at the helm of the program he founded until he retired at the end of the 1968 School Year. He passed away in February of 1969 and the school yearbook, despite his retiring the previous year, was dedicated in his honor and memory.
John Thompson takes the baton
Following the retirement of founding director Bill Deal, John Thompson arrived in the fall of 1968 to lead the Granger Band program. Mr. Thompson shepherded the band through the difficult transition to a new director from the only one the program had known. Then he led the program by consolidating LaGrange and East Depot High Schools into a single entity.
During his tenure, the band program grew into one of the largest programs on campus. Under his leadership, multiple concert bands and jazz bands grew. The marching band added a top-rated drill team, and he helped design the current band hall completed as part of the comprehensive wing addition in 1981. Mr. Thompson was well-loved and respected, as noted in the 1976 Granger Annual dedication.
Robert McLeod assumes leadership of the program
Following Mr. Thompson's departure in 1980, he entered the collegiate field, where he was succeeded by Robert McLeod. Mr. McLeod's tenure was a time of continued success and prosperity for the band program. Bolstered by an excellent feeder system under Gary Dawson, the program set high-performance standards on the marching field and in the concert hall. Mr. McLeod departed L.H.S. to assume a role in Administration, eventually serving in the Georgia Department of Education as an Assessment Specialist.
LaGrange City Schools final years and Consolidation with Troup County Schools
Ed Smith, who served as Robert McLeod's assistant, took over as director in 1991. Mr. Smith's tenure ended in 1993 when he entered the administration field for the then LaGrange City Schools, eventually serving as the superintendent of Troup County Schools. Lewis Barnett became director, completing the 1993 school year and serving the entire 1993-94 year as director. He stepped down and served as a music teacher in LaGrange City and the consolidated Troup County Schools and as a staff member for Vince Rosse during his tenure as the director in the late 1990s. Brent Tolbert served as the director for the 1994-1995 school year, departing for his home state of Alabama, where he served as a band director and later as a school and system-level administrator. He was succeeded by Larry Greenwalt during the 1995-1996 academic year.
In 1995, a monumental change occurred as LaGrange City Schools disbanded their charter and were consolidated into the Troup County System along with the former Hogansville City Schools; a former West Point City Schools dissolved in 1989.
Vince Rossi took the baton at the beginning of the 1996 school year and directed the band until 2002. During Mr. Rossi's tenure, the band participated in a combined band that marched in the 2001 Presidential Inauguration Parade. Mr. Rossi left to start the band program at the new Mundy's Mill High School and was succeeded by Zondra Bell, who led the band through the 2002-2003 season. The beginning of the 2003 school year saw the arrival of Laurie Gittinger, who led the band until 2005. Shelia Harris then directed the band through the 2005-2006 school year.
In 2006, Dr. R. Jarrett Farrell returned to LaGrange, the program that inspired him to join the band and take over leadership of the program. Dr. Farrell's tenure has seen the band grow from 23 students to over 140. As of 2024, he is the second longest-serving director of the program, following only program founder Bill Deal.
Images courtesy the Troup County Archives