The history of Florida State University's Marching Chiefs is chronicled, from early efforts to found a band before the program's 1939 establishment at Florida State College for Women, to the Chiefs' attainment of "world renowned" status. The band's leaders, shows, and music are discussed, along with the origins of some of their venerable traditions, game-day rituals, and school songs. This story of the Chiefs takes into account the growth of FSU and its School of Music, the rise of "Big Football" in Tallahassee, and the transformations on campus and in American society that affected them.