To the editor:

I read with interest the recent article about the father and son who had been KU band members in previous Orange Bowls. It brought back memories of the KU band trip to the 1948 Orange Bowl.

The band left the snow and cold of Kansas by train from the Kansas City Union Station and traveled to warm Miami. Upon arrival, the women were housed in one hotel and the men in another.

We marched in the Orange Bowl Parade on New Year’s Eve and performed at the Orange Bowl game New Year’s Day. Our uniforms were gray and worn with black shoes. They were a stark contrast to the colorful red, white and blue uniforms worn in later years.

The 1947-48 school year was the last year girls were in marching band for several years to come.

We had a great team in the Orange Bowl in ’48. They played well, but the game did not end the way we wanted.

Clara Westphal,

Lawrence