Learn more about UD history in these notable books:

The University of Delaware:
        A History by John A. Munroe

Familiar Relations:
       The duPonts and the
        University of Delaware
        by Carol E. Hoffecker

Beneath Thy Guiding Hand:
        A History of Women at the
        University of Delaware
        by Carol E. Hoffecker

Robert Currie
A.J. Loudis

Hail to thee proud Delaware,
In loyalty we stand.
We give thee thanks
for glorious days
Beneath thy guiding hand.
Full often will we praise thy name,
Thy colors proudly bear;
We lift our voices now to sing
All hail to Delaware.

In the first year of the reorganized and fully coeducational University of Delaware of 1944-45, Delaware students suggested that a new Alma Mater be written. At that time, two Alma Maters existed, a spirited version complete with cheering for the "sons" of Delaware College, and a more sedate version for the Women's College written by Selma Bachrach Schafer, a member of the first Women's College graduating class of 1918.

The students approached Music Department Chairman Anthony J. Loudis for assistance. It was soon discovered that an adaptation of either of the existing compositions was impossible because of the "extreme melodic range" of the Women's College version and because the words and musical quality of the Delaware song were considered "too spirited and more adaptable for lighter college activities."

It was decided, therefore, that a dignified version suitable for use at "serious college occasions" should be created. Mr. Loudis undertook to write the music and enlisted Robert C. Currie Jr., an instructor in the English Department, as lyricist. When completed, the new Alma Mater was submitted to the Student Government Association, which approved it, as did the Dean of the University, Dr. Francis H. Squire.

George F. Kelly

And then we'll fight! fight! fight!
for Delaware,
Fight for the Blue and Gold,
And when we hit that line,
Our team is there
with a daring spirit bold
And when we strike with might
Let foes beware
Our glorious name we'll uphold

And then we'll fight! fight! fight!
for Delaware,
Fight for the Blue and Gold,
Delaware will shine to-night,
Delaware will shine.
When the sun goes down and
the moon comes up,
Delaware will shine.

And then we'll fight! fight! fight! for Delaware...

[repeat]

The Delaware Fight Song, popular since the 1930s, was composed by alumnus George F. Kelly '15. Its first appearance is found in the Student Handbook from 1933. It is performed at home football games and at other athletic contests by the Delaware Marching Band and other instrumental ensembles.

Each morning, at precisely three minutes past 8, the sounds of "Delaware, My Delaware," the University's alma mater, "America," and the UD "Fight! Song" float across The Green, passing by the Georgian columns, above the brick walkways, greeting members of the campus community at the start of another day.

The bell-like tones of the campus carillon are regularly heard at 8:03 a.m., 12:03 p.m., and 5:03 p.m. each day. Special musical selections are added for holidays and special occasions on campus.

The campus carillon was born on May 16, 1959. At the dedication ceremony, the 20 surviving members of the Class of 1907 donated the carillon "in the hopes that the sound of these bells will warm the hearts and lift the thoughts of those who pass this way."

The bell-like sound of the original carillon was produced by the physical striking of chimes in Memorial Hall. That early mechanism operated in the same fashion as a grandfather clock, and, at times, it also was played by a musician at a keyboard.

With improvements in musical technology, the system was later upgraded to play pre-recorded tapes using a reel-to-reel recorder and, in the 1970s, it embraced the latest advances of the popular eight-track tape player.

The eight-track tape system, with a few mechanical upgrades, was used for more than 20 years, until the latest update converted the carillon to a complete digital system in April 1996.

The music may sound the same, but the production process is light-years away from the original percussive mechanism. Today, a modern instrumental synthesizer creates the bell-like tones.

The melodies that have originated from the top of Memorial Hall for decades now reach far beyond the central campus buildings. As the campus has expanded, so, too, has the reach of the carillon, thanks to technological advances. Currently, there are five sites on campus where sound systems provide the sound of the carillon: Memorial Hall, Ewing Hall, Townsend Hall, Pencader Commons and the tower above Daugherty Hall.