Buckeye Stroll

Construction on Weigel Hall, which houses the School of Music’s administrative offices, began in June of 1977 and was completed during the first week of June 1979. It was named by the Board of Trustees on May 4, 1979.  Weigel Hall includes a 720-seat auditorium, as well as practice rooms, rehearsal halls and studios.

The building is named after Eugene J. Weigel, perhaps best known as the man who created the famous “Script Ohio” formation for the OSU Marching Band. He served as its director from 1929 to 1938. Under his leadership, the supervision of the band transferred from the Department of Military Science to the School of Music; the entrance to the Stadium ramp incorporated the herald trumpet fanfare and the band playing the Buckeye Battle Cry; and the band transformed from the traditional woodwind, brass and percussion to all-brass and percussion – the first all-brass college band in the U.S.

Weigel graduated from Ohio State in 1928. After a year overseeing Cleveland Public Schools’ music program, he returned to his alma mater as the band director. In his early career as a professor of music at OSU, he also directed Symphonic Band, the Little Symphony and the four ROTC regimental bands. He was named the chairman of Ohio State’s department of music in 1940, and director of the School of Music in 1945. He retired from that position in 1959.

He was also involved in many community music performances, from bands to opera. His awards include a lifetime membership in OSU’s alumni band and the University’s Service Award (1960).

Eugene Weigel died in August 1973.