From the Archives

Here's a picture of the Deerfield HS Band playing the most presitigious performance of our 50-year history. In 1972, Deerfield resident Dan Walker won the Illinois gubernatorial election to become our state's 36th governor. He asked the DHS Band to perform at his inauguration, and on Monday, January 8, 1973, Mr. Spriester brought the students to Springfield to play the pre-ceremony prelude . Musical selections included "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "There'll Be a Change in the Weather," "Anchors Aweigh," and "America the Beautiful." The University of Illinois Marching Band played the national anthem, our state song, and a recessional. Today, if you visit our band room, you'll see a framed collage commemorating the event with a picture of Gov. Walker, two photos of the band at the capitol, and a handwritten thank-you note from the governor.

Fortunately for us, the legacy of the DHS Band did not follow Gov. Walker's career. In 1987, he was convicted of improper financial dealings with a savings and loan and sentenced to seven years in jail. He served 18 months in a prison in Duluth, Minnesota, and now lives in California.

The DHS Band actually played for President Reagan in 1985. His helicopter touched down in our parking lot before he was whisked away to a speaking engagement at the kitchens of Sara Lee, which at the time had its headquarters in Deerfield at Waukegan and Kates Roads. The band and Choraliers performed for him there, but it wasn't a high profile gig like the governor's inauguration.