PAST Grand Marshals-

2011 Grand Marshal-Gordon McCann

For three decades, Gordon has traveled the Ozarks recording fiddlers and playing alongside them. He estimates he has more than 3,000 hours of recorded music and conversation with better than 500 musicians. Dating back to 1974, Gordon’s recordings are irreplaceable links to a past that every year becomes more rare as the “old-time” fiddle players pass away.

In 2002, the Missouri Arts Council awarded Gordon with a Missouri Arts Leadership Award; Gordon is only the second folklorist to be recognized by the Arts Council with the award. He has served as a consultant and speaker on Ozarks traditional arts for many organizations including the National Geographic Society and for the Smithsonian Institution, who recognized him as a Community Folklore Scholar. Gordon also has given his time and expertise to many other groups including National Endowment for the Arts and the Missouri Folklore Society. He is a 1954 graduate of Southwest Missouri State College (now MSU) and received an honorary doctorate in 2009 from his alma mater.

For Gordon, fiddle music is a doorway into the history of the Ozarks that he knows intimately and in which his ancestors participated for generations. Family members on his mother’s side fought for the Confederacy while those on his father’s side were Union. His mother’s family has lived in the Ozarks since the 1820s. During the Depression in 1930, Gordon’s father founded Springfield Blue Print which still is operating under the management of Gordon’s son in downtown Springfield.

Gordon McCann is probably best known for traveling the country accompanying well-known Ozarks traditional fiddler Art Galbraith. The pair, long a fixture of folk festivals, fairs and traditional American music concerts, began playing together in the late ’70s and continued until Galbraith’s death in 1993. The two played at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., and the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Virginia, as well as the Frontier Folklife Festival in St. Louis.

2010 Michael Connor-Scarteen

Michael Connor-Scarteen will be the Grand Marshall of
the 30th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade A prominent son of Ireland, Michael Connor-Scarteen, will be the Grand Marshall of the 30th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade to be held in Springfield, Missouri, on March 13, 2010.

A luncheon honoring Connor-Scarteen will be held at the Farmers Gastropub at noon on Friday, March 12. Members of city, county, and state governments will make presentations. "We encourage the public to attend," said Dave Trippe, president of the Irish Festival Association.

"We encourage members of the media to attend a press conference following the luncheon," he added. For information concerning the luncheon, please contact Trippe at 865-6333.

Michael and his family have long served the people of Ireland.

His uncles, Brigadier General Tom O'Connor-Scarteen and Captain John O'Connor-Scarteen, fought beside Michael Collins and played instrumental roles during both the War of Independence from Britain and the Civil War that ensued. On September 9, 1922, they were shot and killed defending their town of Kenmare, County Kerry, Ireland.

Michael's father, Patrick, served on the Kerry County Council, in the Irish Senate and as a member of the Irish Parliament. Michael was on the Kerry County Council from 1973 to 2009, when his son Patrick took his place. Pat, Michael and Patrick have 63 years unbroken service to Kerry County Council.

Southwest Missouri has a rich Celtic heritage. Michael strives to build greater bonds between the people of Ireland and the Irish Diaspora. He has traveled to London, New York City, and now Springfield to connect with families that left Ireland.

2009 LEE WORMAN

For nearly three decades, Lee Worman has been at the center of the Irish music scene in Springfield and surrounding areas.

For 26 years, he has been host of "The Gold Ring," a weekly radio program of traditional Celtic music on KSMU-FM, the public radio station at Missouri State University.

As a musician (Irish flute and tinwhistle), he played in the early and mid-'80s with the band Ceol Rince, which many will recall from several years of regular Wednesday night sessions at the old Lindberg's.  During the late '80s and early '90s he was a member of the trio Ashentree, whose performances included a pair of concerts with the Shanghai National Folk Orchestra in the People's Republic of China.  For the past ten years or so, he has played with the popular McSwains (formerly The McSwain Brothers.) Over the years he has performed at Milwaukee Irish Fest, various house concerts, regional arts council venues, and many pubs, coffee houses, weddings, and other celebrations.  He has been producer for a number of recordings by folk groups in the Kansas City area, and has played as a guest artist on over a dozen such recordings. 

2008 MIKE SMITH

Born near the banks of the Colorado River in Grand Junction Colorado, Mike Smith appreciates St. Patrick as the Patron Saint of miners. Mike Smith's father, grandfather and an uncle or two all worked in the industry.
In 1980, Mike Smith joined the announcing staff of Public Radio KSMU-FM 91.1, where he was named chief announcer in 1982, the same year he began production on his weekly Bluegrass radio program "Seldom Heard Music". Now well into its 25th year, Seldom Heard Music is believed to be the longest running Bluegrass music show on radio in Missouri.
Mike Smith was named KSMU's news director in 2000 and served in that position until his retirement from Missouri State University in 2006. During Smith's tenure at KSMU, hundreds of MSU students were trained as announcers and reporters while at the same time, the station earned multiple state and national awards for news and production.

2007 Jon "Pappy" Moore

Mr. Moore owned Pappy's Barbecue on North Main street from 1978 until 1987. He entered the very first Springfield St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1981, pulling his smoker behind a riding lawnmower! He has been in the parade in some shape of form every years since. Affectionately known as "Pappy" to family, friends, and customers alike, Moore has been instrumental over the years in helping the parade grow, and in attracting more and more people to the event, including the Springfield Rugby team. "Pappy" currently works and lives on the family farm in Republic.

2006 Ken Knauer

Mr. Knauer is one of the long time standard bearers of the rag-tag marching group, "The Independent Marching Band & Kazoo Society", whose motto has always been: "We are not entirely serious!" The Independent Marching Band is best known by veteran parade goers for its "Dying Cockroach" maneuver.
Knauer has been an active supporter of the parade since its inception in 1980, and the Parade Committee is pleased to honor him for that support.

2005 The Garbonzos

The Garbonzos, a well known Springfield band since the 1970's also marched in the first Springfield St. Patrick's Day Parade 25 years ago. At that time the band marched with a bunch of self-described misfits form SMSU calling themselves the SMSU Independent Marching Band. The parade that year (1981) began on South Avenue and ended at the Buffalo Bar on Commercial Street.
The Garbonzos have been in every parade from the beginning, and it is with great pleasure that the parade committee names the band as Grand Marshal for the 25th edition of the Parade.

2004 Bob Bryant

Bryant is a partner in the advertising firm Meridian Creative Alliance. He is a long-time supporter of downtown’s everywhere, and currently serves on the board of Springfield Landmarks Preservation Trust, which is currently renovating the historic Gillioz Theatre in downtown Springfield.

Bryant has served on the parade committee for many years, and was responsible for dubbing the event “The Peoples Parade.” Asked why The Peoples Parade, Bryant said, “The Parade is open to all comers. No entry fees are charged, and everyone is encouraged to participate. What else would you call it.”

Bryant says he is “very honored” to have been selected Grand Marshal, and encourages everyone who can’t be in the parade to come downtown and watch it. He guarantees it will be a good time.

2003 Bob McCroskey

2002 Pat and Patty Flanigan

2001 Clark Pike

2000 Robert E. Smith

1999 Austin Kittleman and Megan Platou

The Springfield St. Patrick’s Day Parade has named the winners of this year’s poster design contest. Austin Kittleman and Megan Platou, both students at Espy Elementary in Nixa, tied for 1st place, and will serve as Grand Marshals for this year’s parade. Austin’s design will be used on the poster promoting the parade, and Megan’s design will be featured on the official T-Shirt. The 19th annual parade will be held on Saturday, March 20th, in downtown Springfield.

The parade received over 100 entries for this year’s contest, and all entries will be on public display in the Lobby of the Gillioz Theatre the day of the parade. This historic downtown theatre is currently being renovated and will also be open for tours on that same day.

1998 and 1997 Forest Lipscomb

1997 Mr. Forest Lipscomb, Sr. was born in Ft. Scott KS on St. Patrick’s Day, 1898, and will celebrate his 99th birthday this year as the Grand Marshal for the 17th annual Springfield St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

1998 The Parade, led by Grand Marshal Forest Lipscomb, Sr. begins its trip West on Commercial, down Boonville to Park Central Square. Weather permitting, Mr. Lipscomb, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on St. Patrick’s Day, will lead the parade. Nearly 100 entries are expected for this year’s event.

Mr. Lipscomb was the president of Lipscomb Grain and Seed Company in Springfield until his retirement in 1980. He was the originator of the company’s Hound Dog dog food. During WWII, Mr. Lipscomb entertained the troops at Springfield’s O’Reilly Hospital as a magician. He has been involved in many civic and commercial organizations during his long career, contributing much to our community. We invite everyone to come to the parade, have a wonderful time, and help Mr. Lipscomb celebrate his birthday.

1996 David Trippe and Brian Weekes

David Trippe and Brian Weekes, who co-founded the parade sixteen years ago, will lead this year’s parade as it makes its way down Boonville Avenue, around the south side of the Public Square, and disbands near Park Central West about 3:30.

1995 Moe Bandy

Entertainer Moe Bandy will trade his microphone for a shillelagh as he leads the 15th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade down Boonville Avenue to the Square. The popular Branson headliner will be the Grand Marshal for this years parade, which is being held Saturday, March 18th.

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