Barnard Blue Devils

The Barnard Blue Devils Senior Drum and Bugle Corps from the Town of Greece, a suburb of Rochester, New York operated from 1946 to 1961. They were a Fire Department sponsored operation. The Corps Director, William A. McGrath, Sr. (Deceased 2001) served in the capacity of Director from 1955 to 1961 and was also the Drum Major. He was inducted into the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 1985. The Assistant Director was Armand Bruni, horn instructor was Ray Blind, and the Drum Instructor was Ed Lewis.

The Barnard Blue Devils sponsored a Sr. Corps competition at Aquinas Stadium in Rochester in 1956 and 57 called The Tournament of Champions. Corps in attendance over that two year span were the Connecticut Yankees of Stratford Connecticut, the Yankee Rebels of Baltimore Md. the Princemen of Malden Mass, the Satan’s Angels of Bellefontaine Ohio, the Reilly Raiders of Philadelphia Pa, the Archer Epler Musketeers of Upper Darby Pa. and others! Irene F. McGrath, WDCHOF member (inducted in 2000) was one of the business managers. Bill McGrath Jr. was a Mascot Drummer for the Corps, Tom McGrath was the Mascot Drum Major for the unit! The Barnard Blue Devils were the New York State American Legion parade category champions in 1960. This was a very fine and close knit Corps.

Some of the tunes that the corps played were: Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White and Green Door.

Some of the members were Eugene Stockmeister, Teddy Bear, Dave Johnson, Ed Lewis, Armand Bruni, Dick Miller, Fred Woodard, Gene Sipple, Dave Kausch, Dale Masters, Jim Peterson, Charlie Northcoat, Paul Nash, Ray Blind, Frank Hibbard, Barbara Pepper, Patricia McGrath, Jeff Hume, Jim Barrett, Gene Bohr, Joan Freeman, Don Wahl, Gordon Jepson, Andy George, Jack Stevenson, Wes Tallman, Karen Dubios, Sharon Ann Milliman, and Gail Schultz.

[Submitted by William A. McGrath, Jr. WDCHOF Historian December 2012]

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