I'm trying to put something together on the history of the Pride of the Sunshine and have some cool pics that go back to the 30's when it was founded.  Any of y'all have any pics or links or stories or anything I could include?

I too was in the Gator Band for four years - 1952 through 1956 when Col. Bachman and Reid Poole were there. Actually, Reid Poole was the first band director at P. K. Yonge and taught all of us there to play our instruments. In those days the band marched 100 men and the only women marchers were the majorettes bell players and flag twirlers. Band was a great experience for me and I still have contact with some former members. In 1968 a book prepared by Col. Bachman called "The Biggest Boom in Dixie" was published which covers the history of the band from the 1853 start of UF up until the late 1960's. On the cover is a picture of the big drum which is now only brought out at homecoming. The significant thing about the drum is that each side is made from one very large cow hide. Most big drums are larger but use hides pieced together. Ours was supposed to have a better sound. The drum was Col. Bachman's idea patterned on big drums that existed at Purdue and some other Big Ten schools. Col. Bachman had been the director at the U. of Chicago when they played football. He was hired at UF in about 1947-48 and brought with him many national band contacts such as Henry Fillmore who wrote many marches. Basically he put UF on the national map for bands.