"The Pride of the Hill Country" has a distinguished history. The Texas State Bobcat Marching Band was organized in the Fall of 1919. The Southwest Normal School Band began with support from the Board of Regents, who provided eleven instruments at the expense of the State. D. D. Snow, a student, was the band's first director. He led a group of 22 student musicians who regarded their participation in the band as a pleasant study break. The group first performed at the Southwest Texas Normal School/San Marcos Academy football game on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1919. The game was played at the original Evans Field, now the Bobcat Band's practice field.

In 1923, the college was renamed Southwest Texas State Teacher's College, and in 1928, the band members received their first uniforms. The uniforms were maroon and gold, and included caps and capes. In 1969, the college became Southwest Texas State University, and on September 1, 2003, the school was again renamed to Texas State University-San Marcos. Our university has become one of the largest in the State, and is well on its way to national prominence.

The first permanent director of the Texas State Band was Dr. Robert Augustus Tampke. When Dr. Tampke arrived at Texas State in 1923, he replaced Edwin L. Barrow, the second student director of the band. President C. E. Evans hired Dr. Tampke to teach in the sub-college and direct the college band. A graduate of North Texas State, he had taken most of his course work in English and Social Studies. His primary qualifications for the appointment were his love of music, his ability to play a few of the band instruments, and band membership and North Texas State.

The Texas State Alma Mater was adapted in the early 1900's by Jessie Sayers. It comes from J. Albert Jeffery's Presbyterian hymn entitled Ancient of Days, written in 1896. Sayers was one of the first faculty members at Texas State in 1903, and was also the sister of a Governor of Texas. There was no official fight song until 1961, when Paul Yoder was commissioned to compose Go Bobcats.

The Texas State Bobcat Band has distinguished itself by performing for Presidential and Gubernatorial Inaugurations. The band has performed often on regional and national television in conjunction with the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Oilers, The band has also appeared in several motion pictures.