History of Mercer Pipes and Drums

The Mercer University Pipes and Drums formed April 1, 1998, under the auspices of the Mercer Student Government Association. Many of the band members came from the Culloden (Georgia) Pipes and Drums. The band competed at Charleston and Stone Mountain the first year. The band elected Bill Hunter as its first Pipe Major.

For 1999, pipers and drummers from the Centerville Volunteer Fire Department pipe band augmented the band's roll, and the band competed at Culloden, Savannah, Charleston, and Stone Mountain. At the end of the year, these musicians returned to their group.

In 2000, the band focused building a cadre of piping and drumming students, and on adding student members. Because of this growth, the band curtailed its competition schedule, competing only at Culloden, and playing for comment at Charleston and Stone Mountain. The band elected Gary Livesay as its second Pipe Major.

In 2001, the band brought on a number of student members, increasing the piping corps by over one hundred percent, and has adopted an ambitious competition schedule, planning trips to Loch Norman, Culloden, Gatlinburg, Charleston, Montgomery, and Stone Mountain. It seeks both to strengthen the performance skills of individual members, and to build an ensemble which will pave the way to success in the coming years.

The band uniform consists of a kilt in the McNicol tartan, white shirt with the band patch on the right shoulder, Mercer necktie, and a black glengarry with the Mercer badge. During cold weather, the band wears black pullovers. The band patch features an abstract representation of the tower on the Administration Building, with the words "Mercer University Pipes & Drums."