A FITTING TRIBUTE FOR LEROY MASON

For 20 years, Leroy Mason was a marching-band master at Southeast Missouri State University. Twenty years after his death, his accomplishments remain untarnished, and his memory remains vibrant for many of his former students and colleagues.

One such student has begun a drive to fully endow a scholarship named for Mason. A '60s benefit dance on April 16 will raise funds for the scholarship, which remains several thousand dollars short of its $10,000 goal.

Under Mason's disciplined and creative direction, the Golden Eagles basked in the national spotlight. The precision band performed at the 1971 Superbowl halftime show, the Pro Bowl, Gov. Warren Hearnes' inauguration and numerous St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs halftime shows.

Mason is also credited with inventing the "marching marquee," where band members spell out words with their turns and twists. It was a technique borrowed by many other universities and high schools. His efforts helped grow the program from 37 members his first year, to 170-members strong by his retirement.

This dance benefit is certainly a worthwhile project that pays fitting tribute to a remarkable man and gifted band director.