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Passing the Baton
Timeline:1970s2010s
The Ohio State Marching drum major leads The Best Damn Band in the Land and is a university hallmark, and students prepare for years to audition for the role. For Shelley Graf, becoming drum major in 1981 was a dream came true. Her accomplishment inspired Morgan Davis, the current assistant drum major, to try out and bring her own style and personality to this iconic position.
"The first time I performed in Ohio Stadium, it felt like a dream... It was honestly a feeling I will never forget."
Shelley Graf, Drum Major (1981)
Shelley Graf, Drum Major (1981)
"I'll never forget Dr. Paul Droste who was the director of the marching band at that time. He took his megaphone and said the Drum Major for 1981 will be Shelley Graf. See it almost makes me cry to this day. It's such a thrill."
Dwight Hudson, Drum Major (1978)