Kansas Wildcats

{{Short description|March composed by John Philip Sousa}}

{{About|the march composed by John Philip Sousa|the athletic teams of Kansas State University|Kansas State Wildcats}}

The "Kansas Wildcats" (sometimes called "The Kansas Wildcats March") is a march composed by John Philip Sousa. He composed the song after a petition from students and faculty from the Kansas State Agriculture College (now called Kansas State University) when Sousa brought his band to Manhattan, Kansas in 1928.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u4xWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dkENAAAAIBAJ&pg=4678,1562331&dq=kansas+wildcats+sousa&hl=en|publisher=Lawrence Journal-World|date=October 25, 1954|access-date=September 23, 2013|title=To Feature Sousa March}} The song was completed and then dedicated to the college in 1930.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=li9XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xEMNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1943,5532998&dq=kansas+wildcats+sousa&hl=en|publisher=Lawrence Journal-World|date=February 6, 1930|title=Sousa to Publish March|access-date=September 23, 2013}} The piano score arrived at the college in 1931 and has become an integral part of Kansas State Wildcats football games and lore.{{cite web|url=http://www.k-state.edu/band/thepride/history.html|publisher=Kansas State University|title=K-State Marching Band--The Songs of Kansas State University|access-date=September 23, 2013}}

After Sousa's death, the score was one of many that became accidentally mixed with other writings by Sousa which resulted in decades of confusion about his final works. Years of sorting and review of over 9,000 pages of his work were assembled and reviewed by multiple music librarians including staff from the Library of Congress.{{cite web|url=http://www.muniband.org/untitledmarchlarge.html|publisher=Burlington Municipal Band|title=The Mystery of the "Untitled March"|access-date=September 23, 2013}}

Over the years, the song has been performed outside of Kansas State events to showcase the works of Sousa.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B8YsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FhMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2888,5756747&dq=kansas+wildcats+sousa&hl=en|publisher=Wilmington Star-News|date=December 27, 1976|title="Good" Music Making a Comeback|access-date=September 23, 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mcpherson.edu/news/index.php?action=fullnews&id=1295|publisher=McPherson College|title=McPherson College Band presents concert|date=October 22, 2007|access-date=September 23, 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.emporiagazette.com/news/article_caa675cd-17e1-59fb-8511-3189533d8679.html|publisher=Emporia Gazette|title=Air Force band to land in Emporia|date=February 26, 2008|access-date=September 23, 2013}}