FOUNDER AND FIRST CONDUCTOR
Ralph E. Shell, was born January 29, 1918 in Liberty Township, OH to Raymond James and Ella (Holmes) Shell. He proudly served his country in the United States Armed Forces during WWII.
He married the former Miss Ruby McNeill in 1946, and they celebrated 69 years of marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Shell had three children, Janet, Mary Jane, and Roger.
Mr. Shell was a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and he earned his MA from Columbia University. A talented cornet and trumpet player, he served Findlay High School as the orchestra and band director, where he was an inspiration for many aspiring musicians.
He was a member of the American School Band Directors Association, Phi Mu Alpha honorary music fraternity, the Music Educators National Conference, and the Ohio Music Educators Association.
He founded and directed the Findlay Civic Concert Band in 1951. This community group grew tremendously under his tutelage with up to 100 community musicians performing for crowds as large as 1,000 persons.
After retirement he taught music at Hope Temple Christian School. Ralph had a deep love for the Lord and often used his musical talents in worship and praise.
Mr. Shell died on June 11, 2015 and has left a lasting legacy of pride in the Findlay Civic Concert Band.
A July 26, 1966 performance at the Dudley Bandshell with former conductor Ralph Shell. Image by Joe Thomas and provided courtesy of the archives of the Hancock County Historical Museum.
ALLEN P. DUDLEY BANDSHELL
The FCCB most commonly performs in the iconic Allen P. Dudley Bandshell, on the bank of the Blanchard River in beautiful Riverside Park, the oldest park in Hancock County.
The bandshell was named in honor of Mr. Dudley, a former Program Manager for WFIN Radio, former Director of Administrative Services for the Findlay Republican-Courier, a friend of Findlay, a pianist, lover of the arts, and someone who helped bring live music to the community through the former Findlay Civic Music Association.
The bandshell was constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1940. Area craftsmen created special concrete forms to shape the dome, making acoustics nearly perfect for outdoor performances.
The band shell is well-loved and so synonymous with the FCCB that you’ll recognize the central part of the shell in our logo.
FIRST VOICE OF THE BAND
Richard “Dick” Daugherty (July 21, 1922-October 11, 2008) served as the Master of Ceremonies for the Findlay Civic Concert Band beginning in 1952. For fifty years, his unmistakable voice, incredible sense of humor, and his ability to interact with the crowd made concerts memorable and fun.
A US Coast Guard WWII Veteran, he served as the Sales Manager for WFIN Radio. Mr. Daugherty hosted different shows on radio and television for decades, and he played drums with the dance band the “Moonlighters.” Needless to say, he was a natural on the stage, and at the microphone.
In honor of his long-time service and dedication, the seating area surrounding the bandshell was dedicated as the “Dick Daugherty Plaza.”
PHOTO GALLERY
A concert rehearsal photo with conductor Ralph Shell (Right), taken on June 12, 1953.
Civic Band rehearsal from July 1967.
Civic Band rehearsal from July 1967.
Summers at the Dudley Bandshell in Riverside Park aren’t complete without performances by the Findlay Civic Concert Band. The audience in July 1971 turned out in large numbers for one of the performances.
In The Beginning
1951 - 1960
Beginning as a performance for a Scout-O-Rama in Findlay, the band was organized in 1951 under the baton of Mr. Ralph E. Shell, the instrumental music instructor at Findlay High School. Mr. Shell gathered students, and many members of the Findlay community to perform. Those who participated in this first band enjoyed playing so much that they urged Mr. Shell to bring the group together once again.
With the cooperation of Mr. Allen Dudley, (Program Manager for WFIN Radio), Mr. Shell brought together seventy-five musicians on June 25, 1952 to kick off a series of three concerts in the bandshell at Riverside Park. With the help of Mr. Dudley, the first concert series was sponsored by WFIN.
The Republican-Courier reported on June 26, 1952:
“Upwards of 1,000 persons heard a band concert Wednesday evening at Riverside park, under the leadership of Ralph Shell, of the Findlay high school musical staff.
The concert was under the auspices of radio station WFIN and was one of three Wednesday evening band programs to be presented at the municipal park, representing an inovation [sic] for the local resort.”
The selections included “On the Mall,” “Gypsy Baron March,” “Fairest of the Fair,” “Malaguena,” “Skaters Waltz,” “In a Persian Market,” “Lassus Trombone,” “Under the Double Eagle,” and “Stars and Stripes Forever.”
Appropriately, the first song performed by the band was “Down by the Old Millstream” written 1910 by Hancock County native William “Tell” Taylor. For decades, the concerts not only opened but closed with the performance of this familiar local classic.
THE PRIDE OF FINDLAY
The concerts each summer became a tradition for large crowds eagerly gathered at the bandshell. While the crowds grew in number, so did the number of musicians.
By 1958, the band had grown to 100 members. More and more community musicians were drawn to play with a group that had become the pride of Findlay.
A meeting of the minds, July 1960. Dick Daugherty (standing, right), Ralph Shell (seated, right) and Allen Dudley (seated, left) discuss concert plans at the former WFIN studio in downtown Findlay. Image by Joe Thomas, courtesy of the Hancock Historical Museum.
Prior to 1958, the name of the band was somewhat unknown, and it was reported in slightly different ways. In fact, some newspaper advertisements referred to the group simply as “a Community Band.” Others called it the “Findlay Community Band,” or “ The Civic Band.”
The name “Findlay Civic Concert Band” appeared in print in 1958 and has held true ever since.
TAKING THE SHOW ON THE ROAD
The FCCB performed outside of the bandshell for the first time on Sunday, July 20, 1959 when the Ottawa Athletic Association sponsored a performance at the Ottawa Memorial Park.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT & PUBLICITY
WFIN was our first community supporter. The relationship between the band and the radio station has been ardent and steadfast. This support does not end with mere publicity - WFIN has long recorded and re-broadcast the concerts as part of its programming.
Attendees have long enjoyed emcees from the professional on-air staff, starting with Dick Daugherty and continuing to this day with Chris Oaks.
For many years the band enjoyed support and publicity from the Republican-Courier (later, The Courier). Large advertisements and generous articles showcased the band’s activities and the concerts held at Riverside Park. While print media provides a lesser amount of publicity than it did in the early years, we are thankful that much of the organization’s history can be derived from the journalistic efforts of the Republican-Courier.
The Tradition Continues
1961-1970
Ralph Shell conducting a group of musicians at Findlay High School in 1969. Image by Joe Thomas, courtesy of the Hancock Historical Museum.
Mr. Shell held a noteworthy day-job of instructing the band students in the Findlay City School District, and the District supported his long tenure as conductor of the FCCB during the summer months.
In those days, FCCB relied upon the use of the District’s music library, and the group rehearsed in the band room. The support of the District, and the ongoing drive of Mr. Shell built upon the tradition of live music at the bandshell.
In the band’s second decade, the group branched out a bit, including vocal acts that sometimes performed alongside the FCCB. The largest vocal group comes from Findlay’s largest employer, the Ohio Oil Company (now Marathon Petroleum Corporation).
The nearly 100-member Ohio Oil Company Chorus, directed by Richard Swisher, joined the Findlay Civic Concert Band in numerous performances.
In 1961, Mrs. Inez O’Brien performed a number of broadway pieces with the band. Mrs. O’Brien’s performance was part of a special celebration for the 20th Anniversary of WFIN. She was a regular on-air singer with the radio station.
MORE HISTORY COMING SOON!
PASSING THE BATON
Clifford Hite Sr., Ralph Shell, and Jack Taylor (2nd, 1st, and 3rd conductors, respectively) photographed at the time Mr. Taylor assumed the role of associate conductor of the band in 1981. He began his tenure as conductor in 1986.
Photo provided by Jack Taylor
In the band’s first 69 years, there were just three conductors: Ralph Shell (1951-1976), Cliff Hite Sr. (1976-1986), and Jack Taylor (1986-2020).
In his 25 years of service, Mr. Shell established the band and laid the framework for the tradition of live music performed at the bandshell.
This tradition carried on to Mr. Hite for the next five years, before the baton was passed to our longest-serving director, Jack Taylor.
Mr. Taylor served as professor of music and director of bands at the University of Findlay, in addition to being a renown jazz musician.
He is the composer and arranger for many pieces in what we call the “opening package” of our concerts.
Frequent attendees will recognize Mr. Taylor’s arrangement of “Down by the Old Millstream,” and his composition the “Flag City March,” declared the official march of Findlay, OH. (Audio file to the left)
In 2019, the FCCB honored Jack Taylor with proclamations from the Ohio House of Representatives, and former Mayor Lydia Mihalik who declared July 11th, Jack Taylor Day in the City of Findlay.
Mr. Taylor retired from UF in 2020 with 40 years of service to the University, and 39 years of service to the FCCB.
In 2020, FCCB planned to perform its final concert under the direction of Mr. Taylor, but regrettably the COVID-19 Pandemic caused the cancellation of this and most other performances throughout the country.
Upon the well-deserved retirement of Mr. Taylor, the FCCB organized as a nonprofit under section 501(c)(3), and a Board of Directors was formed consisting of members of the band from varied backgrounds.
Dr. Katie Frederick Whitta was elected as the first President of the organization. She and the Board of Directors asked Dr. Wes King to succeed Mr. Taylor as conductor of the FCCB. Dr. King was also hired to succeed Mr. Taylor at the University of Findlay.
The Board of Directors of the Findlay Civic Concert Band continues to provide direction for the FCCB as the organization looks to the future.