2003 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI NOMINEE

Janet W. Bez Ebert - Class of 1953

Janet graduated from Bexley High School in 1953. She received her B.S. from OSU in 1958 with a major in instrumental music education and minors in vocal music and English education. She received her Masters from OSU in 1962 with a major in instrumental music education and minors in music supervision and music history and her Ph.D. from OSU in 1973 with a major in music education and minors in music history, curriculum and humanities. Janet was in the business of teaching music in some form from 1952 until her retirement in 1992, including eight years as Director of Music (chair) at Urbana University, Urbana, Ohio and 19 years as the Music Department Chairman in the Springfield Ohio City Schools, returning to Urbana University as visiting faculty for seven years before her retirement.

Elected as secretary to The Ohio State University Marching Band Alumni (TBDBITL Alumni Club) in 1972, she was asked to be the first woman to perform with the Marching Band Alumni in 1973. In 1983, she became the first woman to direct in Ohio Stadium. She was asked to conduct the combined OSU and Alumni Bands in the National Anthem. Although no longer secretary, she continues ex-officio on the board.

Janet holds many professional memberships and certifications and has been actively involved with OSU alumni activities, serving in an official capacity in most of the organizations. She has performed on countless occasions and in countless venues, playing flute, piccolo, organ, piano, keyboard and alto horn, as well as vocal solos and choral appearances. She is the founder and director of the Champaign County Community Band, Champaign County Festival Choir, Champaign County Brass Choir, Champaign County Flute Choir/Urbana Flute Quartet and the Champaign County Youth Choir. She has authored books, poems, songbooks, study guides, research papers, magazine articles, newsletters, newspaper articles, reviews, etc. She has served as editor on four publications. She has written eight plays and an unpublished poetry collection, as well as eleven unpublished operettas, children’s stories and songbooks, arrangements for brass choirs and short stories. Janet is currently doing ongoing research on education in Clark and Champaign Counties, one-room schoolhouses, the National Road and Christopher Columbus.

Janet has served the community for many years by conducting music workshops, giving lectures and talks, serving as guest director, writing, directing and producing the Champaign County Bicentennial pageant in 1976 and writing and presenting a weekly music program on local radio. She has been actively involved in Boy Scouts, Daughters of the American Revolution, the First Presbyterian church in Urbana as well as countless other groups.

Janet is a lifetime member of the Bexley High School Alumni Association, is the historian for her class of 1953, was recognized by the Bexley Education Foundation in 1996 as a distinguished alumna and is the Bexley High School Alumni Association’s 2003 distinguished alumni honoree.