he Indianapolis 500 is full of traditions from the bomb opening the gates promptly at 6:00 a.m. on Race Day to the winner drinking milk as part of the victory celebration. One of the longest standing traditions is the Purdue University “All-American” marching band performing “Back Home Again in Indiana.”

It all began in 1919. The track had been closed for two years when the United States was involved in World War I. Ever the promoter, Carl Fisher wanted something special for the crowds that went to the race. He invited anybody with a musical instrument to come and provide entertainment. In exchange, they could stay for the race. People came bringing their instruments, some of whom couldn’t even play. Carl Fisher dubbed this group of people the “All American Band.” Some members of the Purdue University band and their director, Paul Spotts Emrick, came down from West Lafayette and joined in the fun. They became the “official” band for the Indy 500 and have participated ever since.

After Jim Allison’s Peugeot, driven by Howdy Wilcox, won the race, the “All American Band” took to the track again and played “Indiana,” a jazz piece popular with the doughboys serving in Europe. A tradition was born. The tune, “Indiana” was written by James Hanley and the lyrics were crafted by Ballard McDonald in 1917. It is better known by the first line of the refrain “Back Home Again in Indiana.” Tony Hulman instituted it’s singing when he bought the track in 1946. Thousands join in with the singing and for a few minutes, all are Hoosiers at heart.

Many people think that “Back Home Again in Indiana” is the state song but it isn’t. That honor belongs to Indiana composer, Paul Dresser, who wrote “On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away” in 1897.

With the exception of when the track was closed during World War II and during the COVID outbreak, the Purdue All-American Marching Band, including some band alumni, has performed annually. The band gets into formation around Turn 3 of the track and marches around Turn 4. The slope of the track in Turn 4 provides a special challenge to those who twirl and toss batons. The band marches until they are in front of the Pagoda where they accompany the singer in “Back Home Again in Indiana.”

A couple of famous people who have played in the Purdue band at the Indianapolis 500 include Orville Redenbacher who played a helicon horn in the 1920s. Reddenbacker, who became famous for his popcorn, later worked for Tony Hulman. Probably the most famous is Neil Armstrong, a 1955 Purdue graduate who played a euphonium. Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon. Band director Al Wright in an unpublished memoir recounted asking Armstrong if he wouldn’t “like to drive a race car around the track?” Armstrong responded that “it was much too dangerous.”

While Emrick was an electrical engineering professor, he was behind the creation of Purdue’s “World’s Largest Drum” in 1921.  He wanted Purdue to have the largest bass drum in the world to create some excitement. At the time, the largest bass drums were about four feet tall. Emrick worked with the Leedy Corporation in Indianapolis to create a drum that is eight feet high. Sitting on its carriage, it is ten feet high. The Leedy Corporation had to overcome the challenge of finding an animal hide which was big enough. They finally found one in Argentina. The big drum is made of maple which has subsequently been painted. When the drumhead cracked, the drum was put in storage between 1940 and 1954. The drum was brought out of storage and band director Al Wright worked with DuPont Corporation which had just created a new plastic, mylar. A Purdue grad and DuPont employee worked to create large thin sheets of mylar on his own time. Look for the “World’s Largest Drum” while watching the Indianapolis 500 either in person or on the television and join in the singing.