Begun in 1909, the annual tradition of Freshman Glee at Willamette University started out as a simple singing competition between classes. The competition developed over time to become a major event with elaborate choreography, stage backdrops and numerous traditions.
The early years of Glee included a class singing competition that took place in Cone Chapel. Freshman Glee was, according to the 1918 Wallulah, "one of the most important and interesting affairs of the school year… Each spring the freshman challenge the other classes to a song contest i n which each class shall sing a Willamette song the words and music of which shall be original within the class." The tradition endured through the Great Depression and both World Wars, and saw nearly 100% participation by the 1930s. The 1939 Wallulah describes the event as "Cheering and color, excitement and jubilation, crashing yells and the voluminous rise of countless voices pitched to unity in a rousing class song – that's Freshman Glee."
The 1950s is perhaps the "Golden Age of Glee" and by this time Freshman Glee involved extensive planning committees, larger budgets, and more elaborate lighting, decoration and choreography. Faculty and alumni judges were invited to the performance in the Gymnasium and determined class winners based on criteria such as quality, performance of composition and formations. Glee traditions by this time were in full swing, including the notorious walk of the losing class down the mill stream and outrageous glee bets paid on "Blue Monday". Women sitting in the bird bath, men in dresses, and other Glee payoffs were part of Glee memories for every Willamette class of the day. Alumni from this era frequently remember Glee as the highlight of their college years.
The 1980s and 1990s saw decreased numbers in Glee participation and an increase in outrageous bets between the classes. An effort by the Glee planning committee after 1997 attempted to revitalize the event with new policies, but the performance was cancelled during the rehearsal process due to low participation. Consequently, 1996 was the final performance of Glee for a decade.
In 2007, the tradition was revived and performed in Sparks's field house, but was not repeated for 2008 primarily due to low participation and attendance.
The Freshman Glee records consist of planning and publicity materials, artifacts and sound and visual media dating from 1914 to 1997, and 2007. The collection includes: committee correspondence and meeting minutes, budget summaries; sheet music and lyrics categorized by class, souvenir memory books; programs, tickets, copies of newspaper articles, publicity fliers and posters; Photographs, sound and visual recordings in various medium; material glee patches by year; and also full lists of Glee managers, song names, winners and dedications compiled by the Tabularium historical society during the early 1990s. There are no records from the early years (1909 – 1913), though the Wallulah yearbook recognizes the event.
These records are arranged in four series based on chronology. Within each series, files are arranged by year and subject matter. Each series contains materials related to committee meetings, sheet music, souvenir memory books, program tickets, and lists of Glee managers.
This collection is open to researchers.
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[Identification of item], Freshman Glee records, Archives and Special Collections, Mark O. Hatfield Library, Willamette University.
Further accruals are expected
Winner of the 1911 Freshman Glee. "Our Dear Old Willamette"
Title - "Willamette, Hail Our Alma Mater"
Title - "I Am Willamette"
Title - "Campus Serenade"
Title - "Willamette Spring Song"
Junior's Winning Song sheet music.
Title - "Fight 'em Bearcats"
Title - "Queen of the West"
Title - "Victory Song"
Title - "Victory, Willamette U."
Title - "Victory for W.U."
Title - "Fight, Bearcats, Fight!"
Title - "Fight! Willamette U."
Title - "Varsity Fight Song"
a. "Freshman Serenade" 1933 Winner; b. "Hail Alma Mater" 1934 Winner; c. "Fight! Fight! Fight!" 1935 Winner; d. "To the Sweetheart of W.U." 1936 Winner
Title - "Freshman Serenade"
Title - "A Serenade"
Title - "Serenade"
Title - "Love's Serenade"
Title - "Hail Alma Mater"
Title - "Loyalty Forever"
Title - "Fight Song"
Title - "Fight! W.U."
Title - "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Title - "Fight On!"
Title - "Slumber On"
Title - "To the Sweetheart of W.U."
Title - "Papa's Ultimatum"
Title - "Indian Rhythm"
a. "Pin-Planting Song"; b."Weary Willie"; c. "Papa's Ultimatum"; d."Indian Rhythm"
Title - "The Pledge of Loyalty"
Title - "Fly the Colors"
Title - "Hail, Willamette U."
Title - "Little Giant of the West"
Title - "Stand and Cheer"
Title - "Fight On, Willamette"
Title - "Go On to Victory"
Title - "Go Fight!"
Title - "My Dreamland Serenade"
Title - "Dream Serenade"
Title - "Through Shadows to You"
Title - "Dream Song"
Title - "Hail, Willamette U!"
Title - "Salute to our Alma Mater"
Title - "Alma Mater, Hail!"
Title - "School of Schools"
Title - "Facing the Dawn"
Title - "Forward Willamette"
Title - "Our Next Century"
Title - "Song to Willamette"
Title - "Keyboard Cogitations"
Title - "Gremlin Hop"
Title - "What's What We Found at W.U."
Title - "The Bearcat Blues"
Title - "Wheels of Progress"
Title - "For Old Willamette U."
Title - "Light of Willamette"
Title - "Song of Willamette"
Title - "Willamette, Alma Mater"
Title - "Reverie Alma Mater"
Title - "Pledge to Willamette"
Title - "Hymn to Willamette"
Title - "The Soul of Willamette"
Title - "Willamette, Our Alma Mater"
Title - "Willamette Girl"
Title - "Serenade of Willamette"
Title - "Moonlight Reverie"
Title - "Serenade of Dreams"
Title - "Campus Capers"
Title - "Rose Magic"
Title - "Bearcat Locomotive"
Title - "To Victory"
Title - "The Cardinal and Gold"
Title - "Bearcats to Victory!"
Title - "Win for Willamette University"
Title - "Bearcat Victory"
Title - "Shout the Victory!"
Title - "Spark of Victory"
Title - "Destination W.U."
Title - "West with a Song"
Title - "Here at Freshman Glee"
Title - "Brother to Brother"
Title - "In Serenade"
Title - "To Liberty"
Title - "Vision of my love"
Title - "The Gift of Love"
Title - "Alma Mater"
Title - "Willamette, Hail Our Alma Mater"
Title - "I Am Willamette"
Title - "Good Cheer to Willamette (A Toasting Song)"
Title - "Fight, Willamette, Fight"
Title - "Victory, Bell March"
Title - "Fight On, Willamette"
Title - "The Victory Bell"
"Take Us Back to Those Good Old Days"
Title - "There's Only A Meadow"
Title - "Dream of Love"
Title - "One Chain of Brass"
Title - "Serenade For a Senior"
Title - "An Hour of Hours"
Title - "Alma Mater"
Title - "Not for Ourselves Alone"
Title - "One Small World"
Oversized
Donated by Joli Sandoz (1973) in 2002.
Title - "I can't believe what's happening to me!"
Title - "Don't Look Back"
a. "Slow Down" Class of 1978; b."Don't Look Back" Class of 1979; c."I Can't Believe What's Happening to Me!" Class of 1980; d."Here We Are" Class of 1981
Title - "Changing My Horizons"
Title - "Waller's Story"
Title - "A Ship called Destiny"
Title - "Endless Rainbows"
Title - "Your heart will find the way"
Title - "The Yellow Brick Road for the Sophomore Class"
Title - "We Can See the Stars"
Title - "Signs of the Times"
Title - "In the Pride '85 '85"
Title - "My Old Willamette Scrapbook"
Title - "Hail to Willamette"
Title - "A Touch of Gold"
Title - "Diamond Serenade"
Title - "Love is a feeling"
Title - "Moonlit Serenade"
Title - "Symphony of Love"
Title - "A Quest for Honor"
Title - "Sophomore Class Glee Song"
Title - "Humor with Respect"
Title - "Another Bearcat Victory"
Title - "Novelty is the spice of life"
Title - "A Willamette trilogy"
Title - "Take Time for Yesterday"
Title - "Novelty Blues"
Title - "Alma Mater"
Title - "Celebration in Pride"
Title - "Syncopated Time"
Title - "I See Grey"
Title - "The Only One"
Title - "Serenade"
Title - "Serenade for a new beginning"
Title - "Goodbye, Willamette U."
Title - "Discovery"
Title - "A Vision of Harmony"
Title - "Looking Through the Eyes of a Child"
Title - "Don't let me be a 'Remember When'"
Title - "Through the Years"
Title - "A Freshman Glee Song for the Class of 1991"
Title - "We don't have to say goodbye"
Title - "All Around the World"
Title - "Masquerade"
Title - "We don't have much time"
Title - "The Serenade Lives On"
Title - "Fight, Win, Together we meet the challenge"
Title - "The Spirit of Willamette"
Title - "Friends in Arms"
Title - "Fight for Their Hope and Faith"
Title - "Movin' On"
Title - "Heart and Mind"
Title - "Never Leave Again"
Title - "A Time to Say Goodbye"
a. "The Entertainer;" b. "The Brady Bunch;" c. "Making Our Dreams Come True;" d. "The Best of Billy Joel"
1st place - Freshman - Campus Capers 2nd place - Senior - So You're Coming to Willamette
10 inch disk 10 inch converted master
1st place - Sophomore - Serenade is Silver 2nd place - Freshman - Moon Melodies 3rd place - Senior - Moonbeams 4th place - Junoir - A Serenade's Dream
10 inch disk 10 inch coverted master
1st place - Junior - Willamette, Alma Mater 2nd place - Sophomore - Hail to Thee, Willamette 3rd place - Freshman - Willamette, Our Guiding Light 4th place - Willamette, Our Alma Mater
10 inch disk 10 inch converted master
All four classes songs in original album book.
1st place - Junior - Willamette, Alma Mater 2nd place - Sophomore - Hail to Thee, Willamette 3rd place - Freshman - Willamette, Our Guiding Light 4th place - Willamette, Our Alma Mater
1st place - Senior - Fight For Willamette 2nd place - Junior - Bearcats - To Victory 3rd place - Sophomore - Beat'Em, Bearcats 4th place - Freshman - Mighty Bearcats
1st place - Senior - Fight For Willamette 2nd place - Junior - Bearcats - To Victory 3rd place - Sophomore - Beat'Em, Bearcats 4th place - Freshman - Mighty Bearcats
1st place - Freshman - Jason, Daddy 2nd place - Sophomore - Facin' Jason 3rd place - Senior - Live and Learn 4th place - Junior - Dear Folks
1st place - Freshman - Jason, Daddy 2nd place - Sophomore - Facin' Jason 3rd place - Senior - Live and Learn 4th place - Junior - Dear Folks
1st place - Sophomore - Rose Magic 2nd place - Senior - Serenade in Silhouette 3rd place - Freshman - Serenade to Willamette 4th place - Junior - The World of Night
1st place - Sophomore - Rose Magic 2nd place - Senior - Serenade in Silhouette 3rd place - Freshman - Serenade to Willamette 4th place - Junior - The World of Night
1st place - Freshman - In Tribute 2nd place - Junior - Threads of Time 3rd place - Sophomore - A Song For You Willamette 4th place - Senior - Alma Mater
1st place - Senior - Bearcats to Victory 2nd place - Junior - The Cardinal and Gold 3rd place - Sophomore - To Victory 4th place - Freshman - Bearcat Locomotive
1st place - Sophomore - This Must Be Oregon 2nd place - Senior - South Sea Holiday 3rd place - Junior - Humidity Ditty 4th place - Freshman - Ode To Jason
1st place - Junior - Spring in Our Hearts 2nd place - Freshman - Serenade in Black and White 3rd place - Senior - Celestial Rhapsody 4th place - Sophomore - Seaswept Serenade
1st place - Sophomore - Symphony of Trust 2nd place - Freshman - To Willamette 3rd place - Junior - The Spirit of Willamette 4th place - Senior - To The Spires of Willamette
First place - Sophomore - Bear Cat Victory Second place - Senior - Spark of Victory Third place - Junior - Shout the Victory Fourth place - Freshman - Win For Willamette U.
1st place - Sophomore - West With a Song 2nd place - Senior - Brother to Brother 3rd place - Freshman - Destination W.U. 4th place - Junior - Here at Freshman Glee
1st place - Freshman - In Serenade 2nd place - Junior - Vision of My Love 3rd place - Sophomore - To Liberty 4th place - Senior - The Gift of Love
1st place - Sophomore - Willamette, Hail Our Alma Mater 2nd place - Senior - Good Cheer to Willamette 3rd place - Junior - I am Willamette 4th place - Freshman - Praise to Willamette
1st place - Junior - Fight On, Willamette 2nd place - Freshman - Fight, Willamette, Fight 3rd place - Sophomore - Victory Bell March 4th place - Senior - The Victory Bell
1st place - Junior - A Song of Youth 2nd place - Sophomore - Factory 3rd place - Freshman - Our Beloved School 4th place - Senior - Takes Us Back to the Good Old Days
1st place - Junior - One Chain of Brass 2nd place - Senior - Serenade for a Senior 3rd place - Freshman - There's Only a Meadow 4th place - Sophomore - Dream of Love
1st place - Freshman - An Hour of Ours 2nd place - Senior - One Small World 3rd place - Junior - Not For Ourselves Alone 4th place - Sophomore - Alma Mater
Senior - A Reason to Believe Junior - Today Sophomore - Today: Throughout the Ages Freshman - This is Our Soul; Our Highest Inspiration
Senior - Tomorrow Never Knows Junior - Will It Last Sophomore - Ain't Nothin' Gonna Stop Freshman - Sundown the Slides
Senior - A Beautiful Day Junior - Fantasy World Sophomore - Mirror Freshman - Where Is The Vision
Senior - Memory of a Day Junior - Nothing Can Bring You Down Sophomore - I Miss Those Times Freshman - Good Times Were The Rage
Senior - Silver Mountain Junior - Cornerstone Sophomore - After the Storm Freshman - Start Again
Side 1 - 1977 Freshman Glee Senior - Taking My Fears Away, Junior - Picturebook Dreams, Sophomore - Passing Time, Freshman - Collected Memories. Side 2 - The Best of W.U. Freshman Glee 1. Ue O Muitne Aruko/"Peace", 2. Cornerstones, 3. Somewhere Along the Way, 4. I Think I'm At The End Of My Rope, 5. Good Times Were The Rage
12 inch vinyl disk
12 inch vinyl disk
A plaque made by the class of 1995 and presented to the class of 1942. This was presented at the 84th annual Freshman Glee in 1992.