Former Carthage band director inducted into the National Association of Military Marching Bands

Published 3:59 pm Monday, November 25, 2019

An East Texas band leader who worked in both Whitehouse and Jacksonville was honored recently by the National Association of Military Marching Bands.

Raymond Thomas received the honor at Stephen F. Austin State University earlier this month.

Thomas graduated from Mexia High School in 1959 and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1964 from Stephen F. Austin and his master’s from the University of Texas at Tyler in 1977.

Thomas started band in the fourth grade in McCamey in West Texas. When his family moved from McCamey back to Mexia, Thomas was in the fifth grade, but was allowed to play in the junior high band because band did not start until the sixth grade in Mexia. He marched and played in the high school band as a seventh grader.

Thomas’ teaching experience includes Diboll for one year, New Diana for one year, Timpson for one year, Jacksonville Junior High for six years, Whitehouse, South Park High School in Beaumont, Crosby, Pine Tree Junior High Gold Band and Carthage.

Thomas said he is proud of his years at Jacksonville Junior High, which made first division for the first time in the history of the school and followed with five sweepstakes during his tenure, he said.

He also had fond memories of his time in Whitehouse, when the band earned sweepstakes honors.

Thomas is a member of Phi Beta Mu Band Fraternity.

Thomas was a founding member of National Association of Military Marching Bands (NAMMB). Eleven East Texas band directors gathered at the home of retired SFA director Jimmy Hudgins in the summer of 1979 to discuss the future of “military style” marching, Thomas said. They took action to preserve the military style by forming the National Association of Military Marching Bands.

In 2015, Thomas was installed in the Carthage Bulldog Alumni Hall of Honor. Also in 2015, he was recognized for his service as Carthage ISD director of bands.

Thomas’s former band students surprised him with a band reunion on October 27, 2018. Many of his former Carthage band students attended.