Frank W. Baird

Frank W. Baird died on April 3, 2004 in Boulder, Colorado. He was 86.

Dr. Baird’s musical career started in the public schools of Joliet, Illinois in an era of state and national band contests. He studied with prominent trumpet teachers including Frank Simon, Haskell Sexton, and Jesse Fields. At the Joliet Township High School he was solo chair for the noted pioneer in the band movement, A. R. McAllister, and played at Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden.

In 1936, Baird was awarded a scholarship to Western Kentucky Teachers College. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree in 1940 and became a band director at North High School in Nashville, Tennessee. After he was inducted into the Army, Dr. Baird served as Commanding Officer and Director of the 231st Army Ground Forces Band known as the "Griffins". His concert and dance bands performed with Bob Hope, Martha Raye, and Al Jolson. Upon discharge from the Army, Baird went to the University of Michigan where he studied with Haskell Sexton and served as a graduate trumpet teaching assistant. He received his Master of Music degree in 1948.

In the Fall of 1948, Dr. Baird joined the faculty at the University of Colorado in Boulder as Instructor of High Brass and Associate Director of Bands. He taught there for 35 years and retired in 1983. He was the Host of the 1981 International Trumpet Guild Conference on the CU campus which attracted 650 trumpeters from around the world.

Dr. Baird received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1983. In 2000, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Colorado Music Educators Association. Several of his students became respected university professors and noted performers while many others excelled in public school teaching. He is remembered as a tireless educator, often making time to teach high school and even junior high school trumpet students.

Many of Frank Baird’s former students have been involved with the growth of the ITG. David Hickman and Donald Bullock served as ITG presidents, and Bryan Goff was the ITG Treasurer for 16 years.