"Illinois Loyalty" is the main school song of the University of Illinois.
First performed March 3, 1906, ″Illinois Loyalty″ is one of the oldest songs of its kind in the United States. The song was written to be played by the University Military Band, the only band at the university at that time, by Thacher Howland Guild (1879-1914), instructor in rhetoric and a member of the band′s solo cornet section.
The words of the song as listed in the 1906 program are:
We′re loyal to you, Illinois,
We′re Orange and Blue, Illinois;
We′ll back you to stand
′Gainst the best in the land,
For we know you have sand, Illinois,
Rah! Rah!
So crack out that ball, Illinois,
We′re backing you all, Illinois,
Our team is our fame−protector,
On! boys, for we expect a
Victory from you, Illinois.
Che-he, Che−ha, Che−ha−ha−ha! Che−he, Che−ha, Che−ha−ha−ha!
Illinois! Illinois! Illinois!
Fling out that dear old flag of Orange and Blue
Lead on your sons and daughters, fighting for you,
Like men of old, on giants placing reliance, shouting defiance—
Oskee−wow−wow!
Amid the broad green fields that nourish our land,
For honest Labor and for Learning we stand,
And unto thee we pledge our heart and hand,
Dear Alma Mater, Illinois
The University Summer Band plays ″Illinois Loyalty″ at the close of each of its Twilight Concerts on the Quadrangle in June and July.
Due to the song's length (over a minute long), it is normally played only at the beginning, halftime, and end of a football game. However, it is not considered rousing enough for a large crowd at a game. For that reason, Oskee Wow-Wow was written five years later as the school's fight song.
Other prominent composers who wrote marches for the University of Illinois include John Philip Sousa ("University of Illinois March" 1929), Edwin Franko Goldman ("Illinois March" 1953) and Karl L. King ("Pride of the Illini" 1928). Words were added to the Goldman march by Guy Duker and the King march by Ray Dvorak.
The song is now used by several high schools in Illinois and other states—-for example, Pequot Lakes High School (Minnesota), Morton High School (Illinois), Bowie High School (El Paso, TX), Batavia (Illinois) High School, Palatine (Illinois) High School, Lake Zurich (Illinois) High School, Morgan (Utah) High School, Havre (Montana) High School, Prairie du Chien (Wisconsin) High School, Marshfield (Wisconsin) High School, Marshfield (Oregon) High School, Medford (Minnesota) High School, Hollywood (California) High School, Grandville (Michigan) High School, Middlesboro (Kentucky) High School Yellow Jackets for their fight song, Webster City (Iowa) High School, Shenandoah (Iowa) High School, Anna-Jonesboro (Illinois) Community High School, Nashville (Illinois) Community High School, Bradley Central (Tennessee) High School, and Waverly-Shell Rock (Iowa) High School—as the tune for their fight song; and is the official alma mater of Long Beach Polytechnic High School (California).