University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

The Victors " Joins t IT WAS ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO THAT " THE VICTORS " WAS PENNED BY LOUIS ELBEL. BY STANDING THE TEST OF TIME, OURFAHWULCRYILIS PROVEN WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT IT TRULY IS THE GREATEST FIGHT SONG EVER WRITTEN. Kristy Parker The Marching Band belts out another round of our faithful fight song. " The Victors " became a Michigan Marching Band staple at numerous sporting events, including all football, hockey and basketball games. by Leo Kim In the fall of 1898, the football team defeated the University of Chicago 12-1 1 to become the champions of the Western Conference. Louis Elbel, a music student, was among the Michigan fans celebrating in Chicago. It was this victory that inspired him to write " The Victors. " While " The Victors " was first performed in public by John Philip Sousa in 1899, it did not catch on right away. Although Sousa considered it to be the greatest college fight song, " The Victors " wasn ' t officially the school ' s fight song for many more years. At the time, the song " Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight " was considered to be the school song. In 1998, " The Victors " celebrated its 100th anniversary as the official fight song of the University, with a celebration during the football game versus Wisconsin. " The Victors " also left an impression on the Marching Band. " Last year, one of the first songs we played as a group was ' The Victors ' . That was a big moment for me, just hearing the whole band play it and being a part of it, " said Nick McCoy, a sophomore computer engineering major. Bill Wahl, a civil engineering sophomore added, " ' The Victors ' is one of the songs that gives me the chills every time I play it because I am so proud to play it. " In the 1904 football season, " The Victors " was performed at a football game for the first time since 1899. By the fall of 1911, Michigan was no longer a part of the Western Conference. A new fight song, " Varsity, " was written by J. Fred Lawton and Earl Vincent Moore. " Temptation " also became popular at football games. " ' Temptation ' is probably a favorite of everyone in the band, " said first-year LSA student Ian Stewart. Now, " The Victors " is a staple at football games, as well as hockey and basketball games. Junior mechanical engineering major Andrew Leutheuser said, " People always ask me if I get tired of playing ' The Victors, ' but it ' s something that has become a part of me. " " We ' ve played a lot of other schools ' fight songs, and ' The Victors ' is the most exciting and challenging to play, " said Joe Heimnich, first-year engineering student. While other songs were played at football games, " The Victors " was hailed as the best. 180 100 years of " The Victors "