 In its first year, the band consisted of just 14 members under director Dr. Gustav Wittig, who was also an engineering and physics professor at the university.He served as director for five years before stepping down; the band was then student-led until 1927, when Captain H. H. Turner took over as director.The story of how the band earned its name is contested, but the account recognized by the university (released in the 1948 football media guide) is as follows