Under construction. Please contribute any history bits you may have regarding The Hatters Drum Corps.
My knowledge of the history of the Hat Makers Drum Corps is derived for the most part from long-ago discussions with my father, other members of my family that were also one-time members of the corps and probably some memory of conversations with Jesse and Gussie Saunders.
As I recall the story: probably in 1938, Jesse Saunders after a dispute with the American Legion Drum Corps (now The Danbury Drum Corps), and with the sponsorship of the Local 10 Hat & Millinery Union, started the Hat Makers Drum Corps.
As far as Jesse's selection of a western style uniform: I can speculate that it may have been the fact that the "singing cowboy" movies were popular at that time. But more obvious was the fact that Jesse worked for Mallory of Fifth Avenue Hat Company which, at that time made the fine Cowboy hats for the Stetson label. The corps started humbly, equipment-wise (notice the rope-tension drums in World's Fair portrait)but by the late 1940's and with the last unform configuration, it was commented that the Hatters was the best-equipped corps in the country!
The corps performed at many interesting venues. The most memorable ones would have to be the 1939 New York World's Fair and the 1949 Inaugural parade for Harry S. Truman. (The story goes that the Connecticut Governor’s Foot Guard was incensed that the Hatters was chosen to represent the state rather than they.
I will update this history as I get more research data_______Joe