West Virginia Highlanders of Davis & Elkins College

The colorful history of the West Virginia Highlanders formed in October 1947 in the imagination of three civic-minded men, all members of the American Legion. Rallying support among the membership for the establishment of a bagpipe band were the late Cyrus S. Kump, and Elkins attorney, the late Dr. Benjamin I. golden, an Elkins surgeon, an David Dare Brown, III ’37, now a resident of Keyser. Brown was the the only individual in the area trained in the distinctive techniques of the Scottish pipes and drums. Thus, he was key to the successful formation of the organization, and during a six-month period, he patiently shared his knowledge with a small group of would-be musicians. After extensive research into Scottish folklore and clan history, the organization and adopted the tartan of the MacLeod of Lewis clan, whose history is rooted in the Isle of Skye off the west coast of northern Scotland. Official permission to use the tartan came from Dame Flora MacLeod C.B.E., 28th chief of the clan. The band would quickly establish credibility throughout the state and nation, and gradually developed into a first rate musical organization.