JOSEPH HUBER
Class of 2021
INSTRUCTOR / CORPS DIRECTOR / UNIFORM DESIGNER / MENTOR
Designer of our Traditional Cadet Uniform
Co-Architect of our “TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE”
Cadet Years: Bugle and Marching Instructor (1939-1950)
Corps Director (1940-1950)
HIS CADET STORY:
Joe began his career with the Holy Name Cadets in 1939 as a Bugle Instructor, but his impact on the Corps is a bit more profound. Mr. Huber is credited with the original design of the traditional Cadet uniform, introduced for the first time at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Permission was obtained from the United States Military Academy at West Point for the use of this design. At the same time, our Corps adopted the West Point discipline and honor code as well.
In 1940, Mr. Huber assumed the position of Corps Manager (similar to a director’s position), in addition to being the brass and marching instructor, and together with John Liptak (our percussion instructor) created the culture of demanding discipline. Mr. Huber was a perfectionist, and he demanded 100% effort 100% of the time. His philosophy and program brought the Corps its first American Legion National Championship in 1940 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Then, not too long afterwards, everything came crashing down. The United States entered World War II in December of 1941. A vast number of Cadets were of enlistment age, and like most of their contemporaries joined the armed services. Corps disbanded in wholesale numbers. Mr. Huber was faced with a difficult decision. He met with his staff and the remaining Cadets who were still too young to enlist. There were only three options: disband, go inactive for the duration of the war, or continue as best they could with a reduced program. It was the boys in the Corps that pushed the hardest for the third option. They wanted their friends and fellow Cadets, now scattered all over the world, to know that when they returned the Corps would be ready to welcome them back. It was during this period that the final words of the Holy Name Hymn took on special meaning to the Cadets. “For Holy Name Shall Always be . . .” meant that the Cadets remaining behind were making a solemn vow to the Cadets fighting for their Country that the Corps would endure waiting for their return. It was a promise that was not broken.
Following the end of the war many of the junior corps that Holy Name had competed against reorganized as senior corps. Holy Name considered that option as well, but after a brief period of reflection and experimentation, decided to remain a junior corp. And so, under the leadership of Joe Huber, the Corps commenced a rebuilding program lasting from 1946-1948.
1948-49-50 will always be remembered as a truly unique and proud period in the history of the Cadets. These were the years when Holy Name became more than a corps. . . we became a legend; and Joe Huber was the man who created the legend. We won the American Legion National Championships in 1948-49-50, an unprecedented accomplishment at that time. As his reputation grew, others in the activity came to Mr. Huber for advice and guidance. His influence was so pervasive, and his ideas so respected and copied, that he is considered not only the father of our tradition of excellence, accomplishment and pride that is the Cadets, but the father of the pre-DCI era of drum corps as well.
Mr. Huber died prematurely and unexpectedly in the Spring of 1950. He never got to take the historical 1950 transcontinental tour that his Cadets took to Los Angeles, California to defend their National Title and win the first 3-peat in drum corps history. He was there in spirit though, and he always shall be whenever or wherever the Cadets perform.
