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Monmouth College Pipe Band gets boost thanks to six-figure gift from trustee Gus Hart '68

by Barry McNamara

Monmouth, Ill. (05/12/2026) — A longtime Monmouth College trustee with a heart for the bagpipes has made a significant gift to his alma mater.

"Monmouth College is one of the few places that has it," said 1968 graduate Augustin "Gus" Hart of the presence of a pipe band. "I wanted to help bring it back. It's a tradition that should be maintained."

Although the Monmouth College Pipe Band is still present on campus, it's smaller than it's been in past years, consisting of four student pipers/drummers and eight alumni and friends.

Those past years include Hart's time as a student in the mid-1960s. "My grandfather bought all the new uniforms back then," said Hart, who joined Monmouth's Board of Trustees in 2007.

Now it's Hart's turn to assist the band financially, with his gift focusing primarily on recruitment and scholarship support, although marketing, uniforms and travel will also be funded. Travel means competition, which is something the Pipe Band did regularly prior to the pandemic and the recent lower participation numbers.

The lion's share of Hart's six-figure gift will fund six to eight student scholarships at $10-12,000 each to attract and support talented pipers and drummers.

Hart's grandfather was a fan of the instrument and, especially, what it represents - Scottish heritage and national pride, but also courage, resilience and honor.

"At our family gatherings, we had pipers greeting the guests, quite often performing during the event, then piping the guests out the door," said Hart. "We grew up with that tradition. I actually was given a set of bagpipes by my grandfather. I thought I might try, but I never was particularly musical."

Not playing the instrument hasn't deterred Hart one bit from appreciating it.

"I've always liked bagpipe music," said Hart, who has been to the world-renowned Edinburgh Tattoo, a competition in Scotland with up to 200 pipe bands that draws more than 200,000 spectators. "I acquired a taste for it early on and have kept it my entire life."

Eighty years of tradition

Monmouth's pipe band traces its origins to brothers David and Floyd Hershberger in the late 1940s, who built musically upon the overall Scottish theme started on campus two decades earlier by alumni secretary Harold Hermann '27. The band plays at every major campus event, including matriculation, Homecoming and Commencement, as well as athletic events and parades. Its director is Aaron Kimzey '19, who took over the position in 2023 when biology professor Tim Tibbetts retired from teaching.

"I want to give my thanks to 'Dr. T' for his dedication," said Kimzey at the time the director's torch was passed. "He took time out of his day back in October of 2014 to meet with me (a prospective student) and talk with me about bagpiping, and it just took off from there. It was something I wanted to do, and I've stuck with it."

The hope is that type of recruitment can become more intentional and effective, ultimately growing the band to a dozen student pipers and drummers and potentially adding Scottish Highland dancers, as well.

"We see tremendous potential in leveraging this heritage - not only to deepen school spirit and pride, but also to enhance enrollment, alumni engagement and national visibility," said Hannah Maher, Monmouth's vice president for development and college relations. "And we're deeply grateful to Gus for this remarkable investment in one of Monmouth's most visible and meaningful traditions."

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ALWAYS A HIGHLIGHT: Be it a parade, or a home football game, or the matriculation and Commencement ceremonies that bookend the academic year, the appearance of the Pipe Band lets the audience know it's an authentic Monmouth College event.

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