Collegians Prepare for 8-Week Musical Tour of European Military Bases

July 2, 1961

July 2, 1961, Greencastle, Ind. - DePauw University's ambassadors of goodwill, the Collegians, will embark on an eight-week tour of Europe this month. The 18-member singing ensemble composed of DePauw students will leave McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey on July 10 and head overseas for a series of performances at military bases and for State Department personnel.

The musical journey will include visits to Iceland, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Germany, Austria, Turkey, the Azores, Libya and Lebanon. There is a possibility the Collegians will make a television appearance during the trip. Led by director Robert L. Nesbitt '61, Randolph A.F.B., Texas, the overseas performances will include music from such favorite shows as The Sound of Music, Bye Bye Birdie, Gypsy and West Side Story.

Initially formed in 1949 as an all-male choral group, the Collegians build programs around well-known standards, such as "Dream," "When I Fall in Love" and "Seventy-Six Trombones." The group has its own scholarship program, sponsoring four $200 scholarships each year. Recipients are determined by need and vocal talent.

The Collegians performed for then-Vice President and Mrs. Richard Nixon in 1958. Their first overseas tour, during the summer of 1959, took them to Air Force stations in Greenland, Iceland and Newfoundland.

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