Cannon Crew: a blast from the past

The ROTC group has been firing the cannon at football games since 1895.

By Jimmy Hibsch

Published Oct. 12, 2010

Stands lined with gold shirts, the Golden Girls enticing the crowd and the cannon blasting a round - it's game day at MU. At a university full of traditions, the ROTC's Cannon Crew is just one way MU flaunts its school pride.

"It's a pretty big honor being a part of such a big tradition," Cannon Crew Capt. David Adams said. "I'm glad I can help out in a school spirit kind of way."

The first rounds were fired in 1895 after MU beat the University of Nebraska. After the victory, one round was shot for every point scored in the game, and as a result, a new MU tradition was born.

Still, the Cannon Crew hit several roadblocks before reaching the status it enjoys today.

Adams said the tradition fizzled from around World War I until 1927, when ROTC donated a 155 mm gun. Displayed in Francis Quadrangle, a group of still unknown students ignited the cannon. The following explosion shattered 1,000 windows nearby as well as the ROTC's ability to continue the tradition in the next few years.

However, the Cannon Crew's absence from MU was short-lived. It was back in 1954, gone for a short period of time between the 1980s and the mid-1990s, and now fires every time the Tigers score during a home game.

"It gets a lot of fans hyped up and adds to the atmosphere of the game," Adams said. "It's more traditional than anything, considering we were the first school to fire a cannon at a football game."

MU's Cannon Crew inspired a line of similar traditions at other schools, Adams said. Near the end of the month, the crew is lending its cannon to Central Methodist University for a game.

About 12 members switch between cannon and push-up duty. The cadets, occasionally joined by mascot Truman the Tiger, do one push-up for every point scored during a game. Adams said the rotation of responsibilities is necessary.

"There are some guys who, on a high scoring game, will do like 250 push-ups," he said. "That's where the big team comes in handy, so the same guys aren't doing the push-ups every single time."

The cannon is not exclusive to football games, however, Adams said. On Oct. 4, the crew shot the cannon to commence the women's golf team's Johnie Imes Invitational.

Adams said Cannon Crew is a strong recruiting tool for ROTC, and freshman Caleb Bolda said he joined the crew for this same reason.

"I like being a part of Cannon Crew because I get to hang out with other cadets during the game and I get to shoot off the cannon," Bolda said. "The cannon scares a lot of people in the stands, but when you get to fire it yourself, it's awesome."

To become a member of the crew, a potential cadet must be in admirable academic and disciplinary standings. Prospective men must be able to complete between 71 and 75 push-ups in two minutes, and women must max between 42 and 46, proving he or she is physically sound.

And as for the cadet's ears, they're still working.

"Most of the guys, we don't really wear ear protection," Adams said with a laugh. "It would probably be a smart thing to do, though."