FHS band wins championship, praise of Chicago citizens.
Thursday, July 7, 1988

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Pix#1 = Jack Wainwright’s Fostoria High School Band as it was in 1922 when they started working hard in preparation for participation in the National contest in Chicago in 1923.

Pix #2 - Jack Wainwright leading all the bands participating in the contest, after Fostoria was judged the winner.

(Author’s Note: Today’s column reviews the happenings of June 17, 1923, when Jack Wainwright and the Fostoria High School Band won the National championship, having been judged best of all schools participation.)

Wainwright, band win coveted honor

CHICAGO, Ill., June yu7, (1023)- Staff Special

Fostoria wins first prize in the National Band Contest which has been on here all this week in connection with Civic Music League Convention.

When the judges announced the decision early this afternoon, thousands heard the verdict and pandemonium broke loose. It is doubtful if ever an organization that has visited Chicago had made as many friends and followers as the High School Band of Fostoria, under the leadership of Jack Wainwright, as everybody is calling him now in Chicago. The professor prefix has been forgotten and it’s Jack, the leader of the best boys band in the U.S.

Wainwright leads massed bands

Second Place Winner: Harrison, Chicago; third: Council Bluffs; Fourth: Hyde Park; then in order, New Castle, Richland Center, Wis; Paw Paw, Mich.; Pittsburgh; E. Chicago; Gary, Evansville; Cedar Rapids; Louisville; Rockford; Hannibal.

At 4 p.m., according to telephone call to REVIEW, Jack Wainwright was called to platform in front of congress Hotel and was introduced to 75,000 people as the greatest leader of a boy's band. Jack then was given the distinguished honor of directing the massed bands of 2,000 pieces, playing Star Spangled Banner.

Words of praise by music critic

Hail, Fostoria, Hail! On behalf of the art of music, I congratulate you for having so good an organization as the Fostoria High School Band. Fostorians ought to be proud and hold in high esteem such an organization. Let every one in Fostoria, the rich and the poor contribute much or littler for the financial support of the band...enlarge it in number, improve it with good instruments. and encourage the boys to pursue their studies.

The moment I heard the opening bars of the score I knew Mr. Wainwright was a leader and that his boys were musicians. I followed the selection carefully, listening with a critical ear to the musical tones that intoxicated the soul of every music lover in he ;audience, and when the end came I recognized the good technique, expression and the wonderful tone color with which they rendered the composition. Last and most essential was the ensemble playing which reminded me of the ensemble of the Boston Symphony.

The Chicago contest was for amateur bands, but I must say that the Fostoria band is far from being classet thus, for its work shows that it has been cultivated under the baton of an intelligent director. They played their number with much taste and mucus ability, which qualities won the decision of every music critic.

David Ramiriz, Chicago Music Critic

One contestant showed disrespect for FHS band

While the Fostoria Band was playing its contest number, another band paraded past them, playing vigorously; Jack stopped his band immediately and every member sat motionless until after the band had passed and jack moved his baton to go on. this act alone in the amidst of the thousands placed him in a class by himself. At the conclusion of the number Jack broke down completely but was buoyed up by the thousands of admirers.

Old Glory turned on when word of win came

When the announcement was made in Chicago that the Fostoria Band was the contest winner a wire was sent at 2:46 to THE REVIEW telling of the good news. The wire was received at 3:00 and when it was posted in he front window a great shout went up from the throng that had gathered on the outside. That was just the start of the great reception that was to greet the champions when they returned home. The details of that celebration will be in next week’s column.

Jack confident before context

Before leaving Fostoria for the contest, Wainwright said, “If these boys don’t win FISRT prize in this contest I will be badly mistaken. I have been in touch with most of the high school bands of the country and I feet that our boys can bring home the banner.”

Jack was right, and as is customary with him, his thoughts are always on the fine work being done by the boys and never thinks of himself. Jack shows that he can rightfully be considered as the leading director along with his leading band.

Counselor praised musicians conduct

After spending almost the entire week with the band boys in Chicago, W.S. Patterson returned to Fostoria last evening bring glowing accounts in every particular of the work and behavior of the band boys and their leader.

“If anybody had told me and I did not see it, that any crowd of 65 people, men or women, boys or girls, could go to Chicago for a week, receive the honors such as were bestowed upon our band boys, and still maintain their dignity and most wonderful praise, I would not have believed it.” declared Patterson to THE REVIEW last night.

“I want to say to the people of Fostoria that we not only have the national band championship but the Fostoria Band also was the winner in deportment and gentlemanly conduct whether it was before or after the contest.

“Our boys played as they never played before and under most trying conditions, but they were equal to the occasion.

“The Drake Hotel folks were so taken with the band that whenever a concert was to be played in the hotel, the management insisted on the Fostoria band and would take no other’.

Mrs. Wainwright will remember

For readers who do not know, Mrs. Jack Wainwright is much alive and active, residing in Wolcottville, Indiana.

The following item, taken from the Fostoria Daily Review of June 11, 1923, tells how a group of Fostoria residents went to McComb and boarder the train on which Jack and his band were traveling to Fostoria, to surprise and greet the champions.

Here’s the item at it was published:

Reception one long to be remembered

completely surprised and overjoyed was Jack Wainwright ;yesterday at McComb when Mrs. Wainwright, Betty and little Jack boarded the train to give their welcome to the husband and father.

And there was not a dry face in that entire car as wife and children were taken into the arms of the husband and father. And everybody was proud of the fact that their hears were such that the tears flowed copiously.

When they reached the rear coach where Jack was he spied his family and with a shout of joy and tears streaming down his face he grabbed them all...then everybody dried for joy.

those in the group in addition to the Wainwrights were: B.M. Solomon, O.C. Harding, R.C. Guernsey, W.F. Mauer.

(To be continued)

Heed God’s Word

Battle between Ishmael and Isaac

Bible reading Christians will understand the headline, taken from a bulletin from Mike Evans Ministries. Read on!

“For the last three months, almost daily the media has been revealing to the world a battle between Ishmael and Isaac. Israelis and the Palestinians.”

“As I have prayed each day about this, the Holy Spirit had said over and over, “Who will go for us? I have wept and walked the floor in the early hours of the mornings, because I know exactly what God is telling me to do. He is telling me to go into the riot torn areas of the West Bank and proclaim the love of Jesus.

I know that no evangelist in America has done that yet and especially no Jewish person. God has told me that He wants to bring an incredible outpouring of His spirit upon the Israelis and the Palestinians. He has said to me, `Son, the Middle East is ready to explode, The only hope is My son, Jesus. Riots and rocks will not bring peace. Israel and Isaac need to hear the Word of the Lord.

“Paul, as I am writing this, tears are flowing down my face.:

Mis Evans is on his way to Israel to pray and work to help solve the situation.

I wish there was space to print his whole heart-rendering message. Pray for him.