Pistol Pete is riding a tricycle on a football field. The tricycle has a large drum attached to the back with an illustration of Pistol Pete. Two individuals in white shirts and cowboy hats are pushing the tricycle from behind. In the background, there are spectators seated in the stadium stands and football players on the field. — Beginning in the 1970s, Pete’s Partners would bring the big drum onto the football field to celebrate a Cowboy score with Pistol Pete riding on the cart. The Spirit Rider and Bullet replaced them in the 1980s.

A Contentious Claim: The biggest darn drum in Oklahoma?

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Media Contact: Mack Burke | Associate Director of Media Relations | 405-744-5540 | editor@okstate.edu

The biggest drum in Oklahoma arrived in Stillwater nine decades ago.

How drums are measured may complicate this claim, but with over 56 square feet of surface area on two drumheads, a drum that found its way to the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College campus in the fall of 1935 was prepared to challenge any other contenders in the state.

Drums come in all shapes and sizes and are considered some of the oldest musical instruments. They are utilized in almost all styles of music, from the secular to the sacred. Frequently considered the heartbeat of a song, they produce the rhythm and cadence for other instruments or dancers. At OAMC, the marching bands carried at least three types of drums: snare, tenor and bass, plus additional percussion instruments such as cymbals.

"A black and white photograph of a man in military uniform. The uniform includes a jacket with epaulets and a tie. The background is plain and dark, focusing attention on the subject's attire. — Col. Robert Cotton

As a land-grant college, OAMC had mandatory male enrollment in the corps of cadets. The Military Department also provided significant support for the college marching band. During the fall of 1935, Col. Robert Cotton purchased a large bass drum, which he then donated to the Music Department and bands for use in performances, parades, pep rallies and football games.

Cotton was assigned to the OAMC campus in 1934 and placed in charge of the Military Department as professor of military science and tactics. Cotton, a career army officer, graduated from West Point in 1908 and served in the Philippines, the Mexican-American border, the Hawaiian Islands and the American Expeditionary Force during World War I in France. He completed graduate work in history at Georgetown University in 1931 and moved his family to Stillwater several years later.

A grayscale photograph of a woman with short, wavy hair. She is wearing a collared shirt and is positioned against a plain background." — Charlotte Cotton

Cotton’s daughter, Charlotte, was 19 and enrolled in the School of Home Economics. She joined the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority and, in the fall of 1934, ran for and was elected band queen. After a whirlwind freshman year, she would marry in the fall of 1935. It is unknown if Charlotte’s reign as band queen influenced her father’s desire to support the marching band with the new bass drum.

The large drum was far too bulky and heavy for individuals to carry, so employees in the college shop built a special four-wheeled carriage for the instrument, capable of holding it and two band members: one to strike the drum and another riding with cymbals or smaller drum. Six additional students were needed to push and pull the drum for parades or around the football field. A bronc-riding cowboy was painted on one side of the drumhead and the college seal on the other.

The big drum made its first appearance at a Thursday night pep rally held on Oct. 17, 1935, in the college auditorium. The football game against Duquesne University took place on Saturday and the team needed a lift after struggling through the early season. The drum was pulled onto the stage and dedicated to helping “get back that winning spirit.” While the drum was featured at the game, the Aggies lost by 20 points.

After several years without use, the Big Drum was given to the Girls’ Marching Band formed during World War II. At that time, the drum received a new and more maneuverable cart, which made it easier to navigate in tight spaces.

When first purchased, the OAMC drum was described as “second in size to none,” but within a month, a letter was received contesting this claim. The drum major from the University of Chicago band corresponded with the college, sharing the disappointing news that OAMC did not have the largest drum in the nation. The OAMC drum was 6 feet or 72 inches. Chicago’s “Big Bertha” was over 100 inches and recognized as the largest in the country.

The correspondent continued with descriptions of other large bass drums, including Purdue University (92 inches), Harvard University (88 inches), Ohio State, Stanford, and Dartmouth (all over 84 inches but no longer in use). The Conn-Leedy Drum Company of Elkhart, Indiana, designed and built Big Bertha, promising they would never make a larger one for anyone.

Drumheads were made from animal hides and the size of available hides limited drumhead dimensions at this time. Conn-Leedy had identified suppliers with access to large steers weighing between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds bred in Argentina. But the limits of the breeding program had been reached.

OAMC’s drum was used during the remainder of the 1935 and 1936 school years. There had been challenges. The four-wheeled cart used to move the drum was cumbersome, with turning limitations. Tight turns at corners and hazards were challenging to maneuver around. The large drum easily overturned even with mild wind gusts. And even though it was much larger than any other drum in the band, it didn’t sound any louder. The music department placed the drum in storage after 1936, where it remained for six years.

A black and white photograph of a marching band standing in front of a large bass drum with the words 'STATE' written on it. The drum features an illustration of a cartoonish figure wearing a hat and holding a baton. The band members are dressed in elaborate uniforms with tall hats adorned with plumes, epaulets, and decorative sashes. They are holding various brass instruments, including tubas and trumpets. In the background, there is a large crowd seated in stadium bleachers. — Although the big drum was rarely used on the field in OSU Band formations during halftime, it was typically located on the track surrounding Lewis Field during football games.

By 1942, there had been several offers to purchase the drum from the college, but each time, the exchange failed to occur when the anticipated new owner confessed they had no use for the instrument. Max Mitchell, marching band director at the time, reported the skin drumheads were still in excellent condition and estimated to be valued at $200 for the set. After World War II, a new cart was constructed, and the drum was given to the Girls’ Band. The new cart had only three wheels, was lighter, easier to turn and was designed to carry only the drum itself. The Girls’ Band expanded rapidly during the war and used the drum as an accessory in parades and football games.

With the university name change in 1957, the drumheads were repainted with OSU orange letters on one side and a color drawing of Pistol Pete on the other. While used infrequently when the marching bands were playing, the drum regularly appeared at pep rallies, football games, parades and public events. Hiram Henry, a longtime marching band director beginning in the late 1940s, was featured with his daughter, Janice, and the drum when she was 1 and 17 years later when she was a drummer in the band.

After over 30 years of use, neglect and some abuse, the drum was still nameless. In 1967, new band director Albert Lynd proposed a naming contest. The drum had been refurbished recently, perhaps receiving new Mylar drumheads, and had a new “sound.” Even with a $20 prize for the winning entry, no acceptable identifying name was selected and the instrument continued to be referenced simply as the “big drum.”

At the beginning of the 1970s, the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega was responsible for pulling the drum around the track surrounding Lewis Field and onto the grass field after scores or breaks during football games. After the track was eliminated during modifications to the stadium, Pete’s Partners took over control of the drum at games. The Partners were individuals who had not been selected to serve as the Pistol Pete mascot but remained Pete supporters and were allowed to pull the drum onto the field after touchdowns and field goals from the end zone in an arch up to the 30-yard line. At some point, Pistol Pete began riding on the back of the carriage with the drum.

A large bass drum with the letters 'OSU' in bold orange font on a white background. The drum is mounted on a metal frame with three wheels for mobility. The sides of the drum are orange, and it is positioned in front of a closed garage door. — Stored for several years in OSU Athletic Department facilities, the Big Drum found a new home at the OSU Library Annex on Boomer Road, where it has been secured for over two decades.

Beginning in the mid-1980s, the Big Eight Conference limited the number of non-athletic auxiliaries participating during game events. In 1984, OSU introduced the popular Spirit Rider and combined with the existing Pistol Pete mascot, cheerleaders and pom squads, the big drum was demoted and placed back in storage under the Lewis Field Stadium or possibly the basement of Gallagher Hall.

As the OSU Athletic Department prepared for major expansions and renovations for what would become Boone Pickens Stadium and Gallagher-Iba Arena, the big drum needed a new home to be retained. Around 2000, the OSU Music Department, along with the Marching Band and members of the OSU Alumni Band Association, were able to identify a storage location at the OSU Library Annex north of the main campus.

Since that time, the big drum has been featured at only one public appearance, the celebrations associated with the OSU Pistol Pete Mascot centennial. Pistol Pete Alumni members assisted with refurbishing the drum carriage and tires so that the big drum could be pulled onto the turf at Boone Pickens Stadium for the football game held on Sept. 2, 2023. Former Pistol Petes provided the propulsion as the big drum made one more trip onto the field.

When the University of Chicago ended its football program in 1939, its big drum was retired and placed in storage. During World War II, it was apparently “irradiated” but passed a Geiger counter test and returned to Conn-Leedy in Elkhart after the war. The University of Texas purchased the drum in 1954 for $1 and continued to use the name “Big Bertha.” Purdue’s drum was refurbished in 1937, and several inches were added at that time. The introduction of Mylar drumheads in 1957 eliminated the size restrictions and made replacing damaged surfaces much easier. But by then, the heyday of most big drums had faded, with many being discarded or destroyed.

OSU’s still unnamed big drum has endured a similarly checkered past. While perhaps not the biggest bass drum in the nation, some in the college community and alumni band members have preserved the largest drum in the state.

It has survived an unheralded career lasting 90 years, remains ready to serve as an inspiration again if necessary and is still believed to be the biggest drum in Oklahoma.

NOTE: Below is a video interview with David Peters on the history of OSU commencements as the university celebrated its 150th ceremony as the Spring 2025 edition of STATE magazine went to press.

Photos by: Gary Lawson and OSU Archives

Story by: David C. Peters | STATE Magazine