The familiar swell of music fills Palmer Hall at Fort Hays State University each summer for the annual High Plains Music Camp. The hall’s namesake, Harold G. Palmer, established the camp over 75 years ago. His legacy lives on through the sharing of music and the memories of those he taught during his tenure at FHSU.
Palmer, a 1932, 1933, and 1951 FHSU music alumnus and band instructor at Fort Hays State Teachers College in 1943, trailblazed music instruction and band direction for generations to come. When Palmer came to FHSU as an instructor in 1943 after two years of teaching at Hill City and eight in Ellinwood, the band started with only nine members. After two years, Palmer’s program gained interest, and the band size increased to over a hundred members. He began his first band camp in 1947, with over 250 high school students from across the state in attendance. Each year, participation numbers soared as more students enrolled in the camp. During the 1952 summer camp, Palmer established the United States’ first balanced clarinet choir. Bruce Siemsen ’56, ’66 played in Palmer’s clarinet choir for four years and recently recounted how this experience, and Palmer, shaped his life.
Siemsen of Holyrood recalls playing in the first clarinet choir in the United States and said Palmer “worked us hard, but we enjoyed it.” He also recollected the summer music camps and how Palmer “left a lasting impression on thousands of lives.” Following his participation in Palmer’s clarinet choir, Siemsen played in the United States Army Band. Siemsen noted that he would love a reunion of his former choir members to reflect on the experience.
Throughout Palmer’s career at FHSU, he wrote several studies in his Instrumental Music in Western Kansas Public Schools series. He guided generations of students and cultivated an environment where young musicians could learn and thrive. His years of service earned him the Alumni Achievement Award in 1979 from Fort Hays State’s Alumni Office, three years after he retired from his 29-year tenure. The Alumni Achievement Award is one of the highest honors for Fort Hays State University graduates and instructors. The Hays native passed away in April 1990 after decades of dedication to his students and the university. Community members, students, and faculty gathered in April 1992 and shared stories and music as they dedicated the Harold Palmer Recital Hall in Malloy Hall in Palmer’s memory.
Siemsen’s testimony is only one example of how Fort Hays State University faculty members and staff impact the lives of their students. To share your story about an impactful person at FHSU, visit https://foundation.fhsu.edu/share-your-story to share your story online.