Harvard Krokodiloes (Musical group)

Origins of the Group

The Krokodiloes is Harvard University's oldest a cappella singing group. Although conflicting versions of the group's origins exist, the most popular version is that it was founded as a quartet in the spring of 1946 by David Binger (A.B. 1948) and Arthur Boylston Nichols III (A.B. 1948), upon their return from the service in World War II. They recruited Frank Cabot (A.B. 1949) and David Biddle (A.B. 1949) who had sung in a quartet at Groton. Yale had a fine singing tradition, but Harvard University's was noticeably lacking.

The Krokodiloes claim to be the first of what would become a plethora of singing groups at Harvard University. Originally, their songs came from a Whiffenpoofs (Yale's a cappella group) songbook, but as the group grew, they obtained an arranger and their signature song, Johnny O'Connor. When the group grew to twelve in late 1946, they decided to ally themselves with the Hasty Pudding Club which was gearing up for its first big post-war show. David Biddle had the lead role of John Alden in Speak for Yourself and the rest of the group filled in as the chorus of sailors and Indians. At about this time, the group decided to adopt a name. In order to maintain their affiliation with the Hasty Pudding Club, the group decided to name themselves after the ancient name given the librarian of the Hasty Pudding, Krokodilos. With a small change, this word was transformed into the name of the new group, the Krokodiloes.

Krokodiloes Come of Age

By the spring of 1947, the Krokodiloes had a constitution and a seal which featured a crocodile in a pudding pot, drawn by charter member Arthur Nichols. The group recorded their first LP in 1949, Songs of the Krokodiloes. The strength and prestige of the Krokodiloes grew and they were in great demand for performances and events. Beginning with a barbershop quartet motif, they began to diversify by singing modern jazz arrangements, popular show tunes, and even madrigals. Eventually, the group began to specialize in tight-harmony vocal jazz, which soon emerged as the distinct Krokodiloes trademark.

The actual size of the Krokodiloes has varied over the years. From the original quartet, the group grew to fourteen singers by the spring of 1947. In the 1947-1948 academic year, those fourteen increased to twenty singers. In the 1950s the number of singers ranged from a high of twenty-two (1952) to a low of eleven (1957) . During the 1970s the group settled down to twelve to fourteen members. The tradition of twelve Krokodiloes singers became a standard in the 1980s.

Traveling Krokodiloes

The Krokodiloes have performed for audiences around the world. In the first fifteen years of the group's existence, performances were mainly limited to surrounding colleges in the northeastern United States. International travel began in earnest in the early 1960s and since then the Krokodiloes have visited North America, Asia, Australia and the South Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. One of their more significant trips occurred in 1964 when the group traveled to India as part of the Experiment in International Living, a program designed to bring people of separate cultures together. The Krokodiloes established annual traditions during their first World Tour in 1982 when they sang at the Montreaux Jazz Festival and the American Fourth of July festival in Geneva. Trips to sunny beaches is another tradition of the Krokodiloes. They have visited Puerto Rico, Bermuda, St. Croix, Hawaii, Cancun, and the Caribbean during Christmastime and spring break.

Krokodiloes Claim to Fame

The Krokodiloes musical tradition has been laced with many noteworthy events. When Ella Fitzgerald won the Hasty Pudding "Women of the Year" award in 1982, the Krokodiloes performed with her and for her. Later on, they serenaded other Hasty Pudding award winners including Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Susan Sarandon. During their world travels, the Krokodiloes have entertained Princess Grace of Monaco and the King of Thailand. They performed at the handover ceremonies commemorating the return of Hong Kong province to China, and at the Inauguration of President Bill Clinton. Appearing on television, the Krokodiloes have been seen on the Arts and Entertainment network performing with the Boston Pops, as an opening act for Paula Poundstone in her HBO comedy, and on Good Morning America and The Today Show. The Krokodiloes have also performed in several major concert halls, including three times at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Finally, many of the Krokodiloes members have gone on to careers in performance. Television star Fred Gwynne (A.B. 1951), composers Peter Mansfield (A.B. 1976) and Stuart Malina (A.B. 1984), and honorary member Leonard Bernstein are members of this select group.