“SUNY Cortland’s rich concert history began in 1935 when the Cortland Normal School committee that brought outside lecturers to campus allied with the Cortland Cooperative Concert Association, a group formed by townspeople. Together, both groups’ purpose was to bring musicians, speakers, dancers and more to campus. Until the 1960s, membership on the college organization, called the Lyceum Committee, was by appointment of the college president. In the 1960s, it was opened to all students interested in the planning and programming of cultural and musical groups and the community was no longer involved.
Lyceum was the primary sponsor for many well-known performers such as classical guitarist Andres Segovia, Mantovani, The Vienna Boys Choir, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and multiple symphony orchestras. Lyceum continued to bring these types of performances to campus through 1985, when the organization was folded into a new campus-wide group, The College Arts and Lectures Series (CALS).
In the early 1960s, sororities and fraternities and the Social Activities Council (SAC) sponsored most of the social activities and dances for the student body. Among these were well known dance bands, orchestras and folk musicians. The SAC and Board of Governors (BoG) were separate groups in the early 1960s. SAC provided social and recreational activities for the entire campus. The BoG promoted and organized activities primarily in Brockway and Neubig halls. In 1964-65 the BoG assimilated the SAC as part of its responsibilities.
In 1964, the Hellenic Council sponsored the first Hellenic Weekend featuring three days of events for the campus. It featured folk singer Josh White and ‘rock and roller’ Freddie Cannon. The freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classes also sponsored entertainment events, jam sessions and dances for the campus. Eventually, most social and music programs were presented by the BoG, which became the Student Activities Board (SAB)in December 1973. Social events in the mid to late 1960s were held mostly in Neubig, Moffett Gym and Brockway until Corey Union was completed in 1969.
In the mid-1960s, student activism was taking hold on campuses and new types of music and musical groups attracted the interest of Cortland students. Students and student affairs professionals began playing an even greater role in selecting and hiring musical acts for the College. This started an era during which performers were booked on campus who often went on to become International music legends. Many appeared here early in their careers, and some were already legendary they performed here.
SUNY Cortland was uniquely positioned in Central New York State and had students and staff with the expertise and ambition to attract amazing entertainers from all over the country. Musical acts of all types were seen by Cortland students in coffeehouse venues, jam sessions, early dawn dances, big weekend events and in concerts held in Corey, Old Main, Moffett, and – during the 1970s in Lusk Field House and the Park Center Alumni Ice Arena.
In 1965, the Board of Governors was approached by two students, Rocco Scaptura ’68 and Jackson Oldrin, who had a unique idea for bringing concerts to campus. With a “loan” of $800 for the first concert from the House of Delegates to the BoG, the “Circulating Fund” Committee (CFC) was born to sponsor campus concerts. All expenses had to be covered by tickets sales. If not, the next concert could not be booked. The first concert was Simon and Garfunkel. It was so successful; the $800 loan was repaid in full with enough money remaining to seed the next concert. The scenario was repeated again and again, making the fund self-sustaining.
Early CFC shows included The Lettermen, The Temptations, The Four Seasons, The Hollies, Neil Diamond and many more. The student managed-and-run CFC was successful in lining up and producing some of the best musical performers of the 60s and 70s, all for a ticket price between $2 and $41 In February 1970, The Association performed the first concert in Lusk Field House, with around 5,000 people in attendance.
In Spring 1970, the Board of Governors passed an amendment which separated the CFC froni the board. The CFC would now apply for its own budget and operate independently. This provided student members the opportunity to expand upon the number ai:id type of acts they could bring to campus. From the fall of 1970 through the spring of 1973, CFC Chair Jack Samuels 73 and his committee brought to campus a lineup of artists that left other campuses wanting to know how they could do it too. From Buddy Rich, Gordon Lightfoot, Seals & Crofts, Aerosmith and Richie Havens to The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Earth, Wind & Are and Livingston Taylor (who appeared twice, in 1972 and 1974), there was something for everyone. Perhaps the most-remembered CFC concert was the Grateful Dead in 1971, which still holds the record for the largest attendance ever at a campus concert – more than 7,400 fans in Lusk Field House.
As concerts grew in size and popularity with students and the community, what had been a very effective and successful student entrepreneurial model for concert production began to require more campus fiduciary control and risk management. In December 1973, organizational and administrative changes took place. The Board of Governors became the Student Activities Board and The Circulating Fund Committee became the Cortland Concert Committee (CCC) and eventually the Concert Commission.
By 1980, the golden decade of the 1970s began to evolve into fewer concerts and more variety programming, which included comedians, magicians, hypnotists, discos and smaller musical performances and regional acts. In 1985, the College president directed the campus activities staff to create the College Arts and Lecture Series organization to replace the Concert Commission. Most concerts were then planned by the SAB subcommittees as part of major weekend celebrations or by CALS.
Even with the continued increase in the cost of presenting acts, the SAB successfully produced the Marshall Tucker Band, The Good Rats, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, the Ramones, Cheap Trick, James Taylor, The Kinks and more. During the latter half of the 1980s, CALS presented Chuck Mangione, Mike and the Mechanics and Doc Severinson among others.
SUNY Cortland’s commemoration would not be complete without recognizing two famous local groups who played on campus more than any other performers during these decades: Heavy metal legend Ronnie Dio (with his bands the Prophets and the Elves) and the Todd Hobin Band. Their performances took place at all types of campus events and will always be remembered as a significant part of the College’s musical legacy.
The 1960-90 golden decades were a time that may never be seen again on the Cortland campus. The amazing list of musical performers and performances (posted online and available here today in hard copy) has left a unique musical mark and special legacy on the campus, the City of Cortland and the region.”
Sonia Socha
Musical Legacy Steering Committee
SUNY Cortland Assistant Director of Student Activities (1973-1974)