Javelina Band Hall of Fame
Gerald Babbitt
Gerald Babbitt’s career in music education has spanned more than 40 years, serving in the public schools of Central and South Texas as a band director and fine arts administrator from 1964-2004.
Babbitt studied trumpet under Dr. Joseph L. Bellamah while attending Robert E. Lee High School in San Antonio. After Bellamah was later appointed director of bands at Texas College of Arts and Industries (now Texas A&M-Kingsville), Babbitt would transfer to the same college to continue his studies with his mentor.
Babbitt earned a bachelor of music degree from the university in 1964 and went on to serve as band director of Memorial Junior High School in Kingsville. One of his students while he was there was fellow Hall of Fame inductee Rolando Molina. While teaching at Memorial, Babbitt took classes and earned a master’s degree from A&I in 1966.
From Memorial Junior High School, Babbitt went on to assume a band director position at Pearsall High School in 1967. He then took a band director post for the Round Rock ISD in 1973. In 1978, he would lead Round Rock bands at the Buccaneer Music Festival, where they would claim the title of Outstanding Band in every category of the competition, becoming the first school to do so.
Babbitt next served as director of bands and music for Eanes ISD. His Westlake High School Band won numerous awards and honors, including a performance at the dedication of the Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institute. Most notably, his Westlake High School band became the first U.S. high school band ever invited by the Chinese government to perform a concert tour in the People’s Republic of China. In 1985, Babbitt took the post of director of bands and music for the Hays Consolidated ISD, a position he kept for 17 highly regarded years. In 2002, he retired from band directing and became full-time supervisor for the Hays CISD fine arts program and director of the Hays Performing Arts Center until his retirement in 2004. Babbitt continues to serve as executive secretary of UIL Music Region 18.
Some of the many awards earned by Babbitt over the course of his career include the prestigious Denius-UIL Sponsor Excellence Award; three commendations from the Governor of Texas, the Texas and U.S. Legislatures, and the mayor of Austin; Texas A&I Outstanding Music Graduate; and 35 years worth of U.I.L. Sweepstakes Awards for his bands.