The Purduettes versus the Varsity Glee Club
by Jackie Krustch
Even though Purdue is often referred to as the Cradle of Astronauts or is well known for the STEM, and other programs that exist on its campus, Purdue’s Musical Organizations has existed and grown over the last one hundred and twenty five years. Purdue Musical Organizations, or PMO for short, is what the University’s official vocal groups are held under. Despite not having a College of Music and offering a limited range of music related classes, Purdue has a rich musical history that encompasses orchestras, bands, and multiple choirs. Two of the main choirs on campus are the Purduettes and the Men’s Varsity Glee Club. Although they share many similarities, they also have varied in status over time. The first choir to be formed at Purdue was the Purdue Men’s Varsity Glee Club. The group was founded around 1894 and could be argued as the most well-known PMO group due to its prevalence and rich history. Although there is varying information regarding the exact start year of this choir, in 1993, the Glee Club traveled to Indianapolis to celebrate its 100th anniversary, which means that the first glee club started in either 1893 or 1894, with eleven members.
The Varsity Glee Club is the oldest vocal music organization at Purdue and because of this, has the most tradition. Due to the Glee Club existing as long as it has, there is not as much information regarding the early days of this ensemble. In 1901, the Glee Club was directed by its first female conductor, who was Miss Elizabeth Millspaugh. Miss Millspaugh directed until 1910 when Mrs. Paul Tincher Smith took over the Men’s Glee Club until around 1930. Mrs. Smith was also the director of the Girls’ Glee Club during the same time, but not much information is available regarding this short lived choir. Even though Mrs. Smith directed the all male choir, there was still a male director of Purdue Musical Organizations at this time, whose name was not clearly published.In 1933 though, when Al Stewart began directing the Glee Club after Dr. Edwards C. Elliott selected him to be a part of the University’s permanent musical staff, a new beginning existed for the glee club and their history. Despite Elliott eventually offering Stewart this position, President Elliott first told Stewart that “never, as long as I am president, will this university spend one damn penny for music on campus, young man.”(1) For about forty years, the Glee Club did not have a sponsoring music department nor did it have an area on campus where it could routinely rehearse until it eventually started rehearsing in the Purdue Memorial Union. After a few years in that location, all of PMO moved to the Hall of Music, which had just been built, and they used five floors that included different studios, offices, rooms where rehearsals were held, smaller practice rooms, and even a music lounge.
A large reason that the Glee Club became as successful as it did was because of Albert P. Stewart’s appointment as the Director of Vocal Musical Activities by Dr. Edward C. Elliott. Al Stewart was the one who “aroused interest in music at Purdue,”(2) and in his commitment to Purdue Musical Organizations founded other choral groups, including the Purduettes. Over its history, the Varsity Glee Club has given performances on many radio and television stations, it has appeared in the movies “One Brick Higher” and “The Hoosier Line”, the group has travelled to every state and many countries, they have received awards for vocal recordings, and they have even performed at the Rose Bowl and at presidential inaugurations for Harry S. Truman, Ronald W. Reagan, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. President Eisenhower even stated on September 13, 1962 that he “would gladly give up my time on this program to hear more from his wonderful singers.”(3)
The Men’s Glee Club consisted of the men who sang in the University Choir. During World War II, many choir members were no longer able to participate in university activities because they were deployed, and participation in these choral groups decreased. In 1942, the Varsity Glee Club was one of the top winners at a contest sponsored by Fred Waring titled the National Glee Club contest and by the 1972-1973 school year, the Purdue Glee Club had fifty eight members.
According to a local newspaper, “the Purduettes was founded in 1942 shortly after the men of the Purdue Varsity Glee Club headed off to war.”(4) Since the men in Glee Club, who were deployed during WWII, were also in the co-ed group known as University Choir, when all of these men were no longer members of these two groups, Al Stewart created a new group. This group is known as the Purduettes, and they were composed of just women, and are still an all female choir.
In 1944, Purdue Musical Organizations consisted solely of the University Choir, the University Orchestra, the Men’s Glee Club, and the newly added Purduettes, who took the place of the University Choir. According to a newspaper article, the main purpose of forming the Purduettes “was to provide women students at the university with a new musical outlet and to provide another entertainment unit to help Purdue’s famous Men’s Glee Club meet a heavy program schedule.”(5)
Although the Purduettes were formed in order to provide women with a “musical outlet”, one has to consider how strategic the timing was. There was no mention of creating an all female choir in years before, so this exemplifies how when there was a need for more singers to entertain, a new choir just happened to be formed. Whether the main motive of forming the Purduettes was indeed to give women a choir they could participate in or just to replenish members lost due to war, the reason is unclear.
The Purduettes are often thought of as the female counterpart to the Varsity Glee Club and the Purduettes got up to thirty members around 1972-1973. Although the Glee Club and Purduettes are sometimes described as being equal, there are also times that exemplify attitudes regarding the Glee Club being superior to all the other choirs. A message sent to residents of West Lafayette about the upcoming Christmas show in 1973, stated that the Varsity Glee Club was going to be assisted by the other groups, including the Purduettes. Few publications feature all PMO groups as equal and even fewer present the idea of a choir being assisted by the Glee Club, not starring the Glee Club. The Purduettes are commonly known for their singing and dancing abilities, and they “offer an attractive and professional stage performance.” (6) Students who are considering being members of the Purduettes are required to exhibit skills in both vocal performance and dancing on stage, whereas Glee Club members must not only be vocally talented, but also demonstrate their responsibility and dedication to the organization. The Purduettes as a group did not form as solidly as other groups since they were originally formed in 1942 but were then quickly disbanded in 1944. After that, a group named the Coraleers was created in 1956 but this group changed back to being called the Purduettes in 1960. Despite the changes in name, the Purduettes have always been an all-female choir and have been called the Purduettes since 1960 until now. While the Purdue University Varsity Glee Club travelled all across the country and world on tour since the year it was formed, the Purduettes had concerts on and off Purdue’s campus for many years. When directly comparing newspaper clippings that included information on new choir members, it was stated that the Varsity Glee Club’s new member would be joining Purdue’s headline act, whereas the Purduettes’ new member would be joining an extracurricular activity.
1.Journal & Courier: PMO Timeline, 2 April 1993, PMO Club Vertical Files, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
2.There is magic in music — so says Al Stewart, 1944, Debris Yearbook Vol 57, Purdue University Debris Yearbooks, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
3.The Purdue University Men’s Glee Club Home Concert Program, 20-21 March 1930, Vol 49 no. 2, Box 1, Folder 14, UA 40, Purdue University Musical Organizations Records, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
4.Journal & Courier: Purduettes Singing at West Lafayette Christian Church, 1 April 2006, Purduettes Vertical Files, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
5.Journal & Courier: Purduettes Include 11 Area Coeds, 25 October 1963, Purdue Musical Organizations Vertical Files 1960-1969, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
6.The Colors of Purdue, n.d., PMO Club Vertical Files, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
Banner Image Reference: ORIGINAL PURDUETTES, One of the first Purduettes groups. (25th Anniversary Director Dedication Guide)
References
Journal & Courier: Glee Club Member, 20 October 1988, Glee Club Vertical Files 1980-1989,
Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
Journal & Courier, New Purduette, 20 October 1988, Glee Club Vertical Files 1980-1989, Purdue
Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
Journal & Courier: PMO Timeline, 2 April 1993, PMO Club Vertical Files, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
Journal & Courier: Purduettes Include 11 Area Coeds, 25 October 1963, Purdue Musical Organizations Vertical Files 1960-1969, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
Journal & Courier: Purduettes Singing at West Lafayette Christian Church, 1 April 2006,
Purduettes Vertical Files, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
Journal & Courier: Students Love of Music Builds Groups, 12 September 1961, Purdue Musical Organizations Vertical Files 1960-1969, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
Message to West Lafayette residents regarding the upcoming Christmas Show, 5 December 1973, Musical Organizations Vertical Files 1970-1979, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
Purdue Glee Club Gains Wide Fame, September 1963, Purdue Musical Organizations Vertical Files 1960-1969, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
Purdue Musical Organizations 1933-1958 25th Anniversary Director Dedication Guide, n.d.,
PMO Vertical Files 1960-1969, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
Purdue Musical Organization Notes, Summer 1993, Vol 49 no. 2, Box 1, Folder 14, UA 40, Purdue University Musical Organizations Records, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
Purdue Musical Organizations Fact Sheet 1972-1973, Glee Club Vertical Files, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
The Colors of Purdue, n.d., PMO Club Vertical Files, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
There is magic in music — so says Al Stewart, 1944, Debris Yearbook Vol 57, Purdue University Debris Yearbooks, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.
The Purdue University Men’s Glee Club Home Concert Program, 20-21 March 1930, Vol 49 no. 2, Box 1, Folder 14, UA 40, Purdue University Musical Organizations Records, Purdue Archives and Special Collection, Purdue University Libraries.