History

Most dates & events listed below are drawn from Music 100 : The First Century of Music at Bowling Green State University written and compiled by Vince Corrigan, found here.

1910 Bowling Green State Normal School is established
1914

World War I Begins
Bowling Green State Normal School is opened
Ernest G. Hesser is appointed as the sole faculty member in music
Music Classes are held in the Ohio National Guard Armory (212 E Wooster St)
Hesser establishes three vocal ensembles :

  • Treble Clef Club (Girls' Glee Club)
  • May Festival Chorus
  • Philharmonic Club
1918 World War I Ends
1920

Hesser leaves Bowling Green State Normal School

  • May Festival Chorus is discontinued
  • Philharmonic Club is discontinued

Richard Morton Tunnicliffe is appointed as a faculty member in music to succeed Hesser
Tunnicliffe establishes two new choruses :

  • Men's Glee Club
  • Male Quartet
1927 Tunnicliffe establishes Mixed Chorus (A Cappella Choir)
1928 Men's Glee Club and Male Quartet cease to perform regularly
1929 Bowling Green State Normal School named Bowling Green State College
1931 Men's Glee Club and Male Quartet are reestablished under Leon E. Fauley
Music classes move to the newly built Practical Arts Building (Hayes Hall)
1935 Bowling Green State College named Bowling Green State University
1936 Fauley begins to tour with Men's Glee Club, Male Quartet, and other vocal ensembles
1938 Male Quartet is named Varsity Quartet
1939 World War II Begins
1941 Merrill McEwen succeeds Tunnicliffe
1942 World War II forces the collapse of Men's Glee Club and Varsity Quartet
Treble Clef Club multi-state touring becomes limited due to gas rationing
1945 World War II
1946 Men's Glee Club is reestablished under James Paul Kennedy
Mixed Chorus is reestablished as A Cappella Choir under Kennedy
1955 The Music Department moves to the Hall of Music (West Hall)
1957 McEwen passes away
Men's Glee Club is discontinued
Treble Clef Club is discontinued
1958 Collegiate Chorale is established under James Paul Kennedy
1960 The BGSU chapter of Phi Mu Alpha is founded
1961 The Music Department becomes the School of Music
1971 Men's Glee Club is reestablished as Men's Chorus under Richard D. Mathey
1975 The School of Music becomes the College of Musical Arts
1979 Music classes move to the newly built Moore Musical Arts Center
1985 Treble Clef Club is reestablished as Women's Chorus
Vocal Jazz Ensemble is established
1996 Men's Chorus appears and performs on the Late Show with David Letterman
1999 University Choral Society is established under Mark Munson
2000 William Skoog succeeds Mathey as director of Men's Chorus
2009 Timothy Cloeter succeeds Skoog as director of Men's Chorus
2012 Men's Chorus appears and performs on ABC News' Good Morning America
Men's Chorus appears and performs on ABC's The Chew
2017
Richard Schnipke succeeds Timothy Cloeter as director of Men’s Chorus.
2020

Men's Chorus performs Carmina Burana with Women's Chorus, University Choral Society, and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra.

Men's Chorus offered only as a student organisation due to COVID 19 pandemic.

2021 Men's Chorus reinstated as a course offering through the College of Musical Arts.
2023 Richard D. Mathey passes on June 15th.

Updated: 09/16/2024 11:14AM