Kappa Kappa Psi - Alpha Chapter

Oklahoma State University

Serving the OSU Bands and Striving for the Highest Since 1919

History Snippets

Snippet #18 - "Boh Honorary Chief of the Kiowa", taken from the May 1948 issue of The Baton.

Steve Nelson:  "Here's a short article about one of Boh's more unusual honors.  It's taken from the May, 1948 issue of The Baton."

Dr. Bohumil Makovsky, Past Grand President

    Many honors have been conferred on Dr. Bohumil Makovsky since he became band director and head of the music department at the Oklahoma A and M College in the fall of 1915, but the most unique honor conferred on the "Grand Old Man" of band music in Oklahoma was when the Kiowa Indian tribe in the southwestern part of the state conferred on him the title of Honorary Chief and presented him a beautiful war bonnet at a recent band festival held in Oklahoma City.

    Dr. Makovsky is lovingly called "Boh" by all of his friends and band boys and he is known to every boy and girl in the Oklahoma high school bands.  Boh came to Oklahoma A and M in 1915 and his first objective was to develop a great concert band.  He soon realized that a good college band depended on the material he received from the high school bands of the state.  With this in mind he started a movement to build and develop high school bands.

    Some twenty-eight years passed and Boh chose to retire from active service and he was given the title of Head Emeritus of the music department.  He now spends his time visiting with the high schools, directing their bands, and appearing on special occasions as the guest conductor.

    Boh has been honored by the University of Tulsa with a Doctor Degree of Music; by the state of Oklahoma as a member of the Hall of Fame; and the Oklahoma A. and M. College in the Hall of Memories, but he also cherishes the honor confered on him by the Kiowa Indian tribe as "The Great Father of Oklahoma Music."