Bohumil Makovsky
Encyclopedia
Bohumil Makovsky (September 23, 1878, in Frantisky, Bohemia
– June 12, 1950, in Stillwater, Oklahoma
) was a band director
and head of the Department of Music at Oklahoma A&M College (now known as Oklahoma State University) from 1915 to 1945. He is considered "the Guiding Spirit" of Kappa Kappa Psi
, a national fraternity
for college bandmembers. Makovsky was well known for his uncrushed bowtie, early morning band rehearsals, and a pipe in the shape of a saxophone.
. He got a job rolling cigars in a local shop. A short time later, he joined a travelling wagon show that needed a clarinet player, and began his work as a professional musician.
A few years later, Boh formed his own band that entertained all across the midlands. In 1902 Boh's band was contracted for an engagement in Davis, Oklahoma Territory. The group arrived and played their engagement, only to discover that they weren't intending to pay the band. Boh paid his men out of his own pocket and headed for the nearest large town, Oklahoma City
. There he gave private music lessons, played in the theater, and directed a concert band in the Delmar Gardens
. He had soon started organizing and directing bands in nearby settlements (Woodward, Mustang, Yukon, Prague)which he would then turn over to local directors. In 1910, Boh also started directing the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Band and had a long-standing association with the Oklahoma State Fairs.
While on a family visit to Nebraska, Boh met Georgia Shestack, a fellow Bohemian, whom he married on August 2, 1911.
, and was elected to Oklahoma's Hall of Fame in 1939 and to the 1918 "Who's Who in Music" in the United States. In 1926 he was elected Grand President of Kappa Kappa Psi, and in 1979, they named an award after him, the Bohumil Makovsky Memorial Award, to recognize outstanding achievement by college band directors. In 1987, he was posthumously inducted as a charter member of Oklahoma Music Educators Association Hall of Fame, and into the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame.
Boh was stern on the podium and uncompromising in musical detail and interpretation at each of the Monday through Friday 7 a.m. rehearsal hours, yet he was a sincere friend to all. Many were deeply influenced by their contacts with Boh, and his students perpetuate his teachings and ideals this day.
One can thus readily understand that Bohumil Makovsky was a fulfillment of the "American Dream," and by his constant encouragement and support of the Fraternity, was truly, "The Guiding Spirit of Kappa Kappa Psi.""
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
– June 12, 1950, in Stillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
) was a band director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
and head of the Department of Music at Oklahoma A&M College (now known as Oklahoma State University) from 1915 to 1945. He is considered "the Guiding Spirit" of Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...
, a national fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
for college bandmembers. Makovsky was well known for his uncrushed bowtie, early morning band rehearsals, and a pipe in the shape of a saxophone.
Early Life
Bohumil Makovsky represented a fulfillment of the "American Dream." He was born on September 23, 1878 in Frantisky, Bohemia to Vaclav and Anna Hladik Makovsky. Boh's father died before Boh was born, his mother when he was 12. He had little formal education, and was trained in clarinet and violin by his uncle, Tomas Makovsky, who had once taught a royal family in Russia. Boh continued living with his older brother on the family estate for another 5 years after his mother's death. Then, in 1895, his older sister, Anne Brdicka, paid his passage to the United States, where she and her husband had settled in Clarkson, NebraskaClarkson, Nebraska
Clarkson is a city in Colfax County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 685 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Clarkson is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
. He got a job rolling cigars in a local shop. A short time later, he joined a travelling wagon show that needed a clarinet player, and began his work as a professional musician.
A few years later, Boh formed his own band that entertained all across the midlands. In 1902 Boh's band was contracted for an engagement in Davis, Oklahoma Territory. The group arrived and played their engagement, only to discover that they weren't intending to pay the band. Boh paid his men out of his own pocket and headed for the nearest large town, Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. There he gave private music lessons, played in the theater, and directed a concert band in the Delmar Gardens
Delmar Gardens
Delmar Gardens of Oklahoma City was an amusement park in Oklahoma City that operated from 1902 to 1910.After the emergence of New York's Coney Island, the fad of waterside amusement parks graced with wooden boardwalks spread across the country...
. He had soon started organizing and directing bands in nearby settlements (Woodward, Mustang, Yukon, Prague)which he would then turn over to local directors. In 1910, Boh also started directing the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Band and had a long-standing association with the Oklahoma State Fairs.
While on a family visit to Nebraska, Boh met Georgia Shestack, a fellow Bohemian, whom he married on August 2, 1911.
Oklahoma A&M
In 1915 he was invited by the President of Oklahoma A&M College in Stillwater to become band director and department head. Boh accepted the position, although he had nearly declined it in the face of the required administrative work. Boh started his work here with bands with about 40-50 members who had never had any experience playing in a college setting. As the war ended, veterans returned home, increasing both the size and the quality of Boh's bands. The OAMC Bands quickly grew as Boh became better at retaining and recruiting members until it had reached over 100 members in 1922. Numbers fell again with the onset of World War II and Boh's own retirement in July 1943.Awards
Boh was granted the title of Head Emeritus of the Department of Music at OAMC upon his retirememt. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in May 1921, received an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from the University of TulsaUniversity of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
, and was elected to Oklahoma's Hall of Fame in 1939 and to the 1918 "Who's Who in Music" in the United States. In 1926 he was elected Grand President of Kappa Kappa Psi, and in 1979, they named an award after him, the Bohumil Makovsky Memorial Award, to recognize outstanding achievement by college band directors. In 1987, he was posthumously inducted as a charter member of Oklahoma Music Educators Association Hall of Fame, and into the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame.
Legacy
"Even though Dr. Makovsky accomplished much in his 72 years, he was unfailingly humble and always expressed great appreciation for how much others had done for him. The pipe he smoked, bent into a miniature saxophone shape, and the uncrushed black bow tie which he always wore, became his trademarks.Boh was stern on the podium and uncompromising in musical detail and interpretation at each of the Monday through Friday 7 a.m. rehearsal hours, yet he was a sincere friend to all. Many were deeply influenced by their contacts with Boh, and his students perpetuate his teachings and ideals this day.
One can thus readily understand that Bohumil Makovsky was a fulfillment of the "American Dream," and by his constant encouragement and support of the Fraternity, was truly, "The Guiding Spirit of Kappa Kappa Psi.""