Postwar Years in Kansas

(1946-1952)

After being honorably discharged from Army service in 1946, Stover returned to Kansas State Teachers College in Pittsburg to finish his masters degree. By the fall of 1947, he had returned to his hometown of Coffeyville, Kansas to serve as Director of the College Band at Coffeyville Junior College. He was also appointed Director of Music for Coffeyville Public Schools and conducted one of the high school choirs. 

Oscar returns to Coffeyville after completing his master's degree at Pittsburg State Teachers College (1947).

In 1948, Oscar and Jim Spoon, an elementary principal in Coffeyville, attended a Fred Waring workshop. Spoon was a childhood friend. Pictured above is a signed photo of Waring.

Stover maintained many professional contacts among band directors and instrument manufacturers. He was most involved with his Alma Mater, Pittsburg State Teachers College (now Pittsburg State University). This cutout is from a 1949 article describing a band clinic that eight bands were attending.

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1950 CJC Concert Band

1951 Marching Band & 1951 Drum Major with Oscar

1947 Coffeyville Junior College Band

1948-1949 Coffeyville Junior College Band

Coffeyville Christmas Parade (1948)

1949 Marching Band on Field

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1950 Band on Tour

Band Day, Tulsa University, 1948. Coffeyville Junior College Band along with numerous area high school bands participated in the event. This was the first band day held in Tulsa since the end of World War II. Andy Clark, who directed the band at Nowata, later joined the upper administration at Northwestern State College. Clark recruited Stover to become Director of Bands at Northwestern in 1960.

These videos are from the original drobnakbrass website and contain all the pictures found in the archives. They are a bit lengthy, but most have a music track.