John Miller graduated from LSU in 1938 and fondly remembers how different the campus was in those days.
As a student, Miller played the trumpet in the Tiger Band and was well-known around campus for his performances. Miller went on to attend Tulane Law School and enlisted in the army during World War II. Miller stayed in the service for four years.
A New Orleans native, 83-year-old Miller participated in the LSU Alumni Band performance with the Tiger Band in fall 2001 and spring 2002. His grandson, ISDS senior Joseph LaHatte — a trumpet player in the current band roster — keeps the tradition going. Miller is the oldest member of the Alumni Band.
When you were an LSU student, you were considered the “campus bugler.” How did you get that title?
“It was a military band back then, and they offered me a job as the band’s bugler. I would stand on top the Indian Mounds and blow out ‘Reveille’ in the morning to wake up students and ‘Taps’ at night to put them to sleep. The trumpet carried across campus because I was so high up.”
The commander of cadets paid Miller $15 per month to perform the job. Miller said the salary paid for his meal plan for the semester. Miller also said he is the only person he knows of who ever performed the task and was ever dubbed the “campus bugler.”
“At night, I would do one call at 11:20, then ‘Taps’ at 11:30. Back then, there were no cars on campus, so I was all alone up on those Indian Mounds. I would face Smith Hall [near where the Music and Dramatic Arts Building is now] so that it carried to the dormitories. Everyone slept in the barracks [Pentagon Quad] then. At the time, everyone would be in their rooms at night, and they would put out their lights and just listen to the trumpet. It put them to sleep.”
What was it like performing in the Alumni band alongside your grandson?
“I enjoyed it. I got to spend the night in the dorms again. We did a hell of a lot of practicing, but I was able to pick up on where I needed to stand just after one practice. The band is still great. They are still pioneers in being large and doing great things.”
Miller said he is proud of his grandson for carrying on the tradition, and he enjoyed performing with him.
Do you think much has changed at LSU since you were a student?
“It’s like its own city now. I’ve always really loved LSU since I was a student. Back then, the campus was so small that everyone lived in the dorms, and all we had was each other. We didn’t have [places to live off-campus] like Tiger Town.”
The University recently invited you to speak at an LSU graduation. What was that experience like for you?
“It was my 60th anniversary of graduation. After 50 years, you are considered a ‘Golden Tiger,’ and they give you a gold-colored robe to wear [at the ceremony]. I was asked to give a talk to the graduating class.”
Miller said the speaker before him took a long time with his speech, and he could tell the students were getting tired. He was worried students would not want to hear another person speak afterward.
“They were graduating. They all wanted to go out and party. So I got up onstage and said, ‘All I want to tell you is forget about your aspirations to be a businessman and make a lot of money. I just want you to take care of your health, because out of my graduating class, there is only three of us left.”
Miller said his brief speech ended with a roar of applause.