Iconic Kansas educator David Stuewe was Director of Bands at NCHS for 30 years, from 1957 to 1988. After completing his BS in Music Education from Kansas State University, he served in Morocco as an Air Force officer for two years before returning to Kansas State to complete his Master’s degree. He taught at Riley Rural High School for one year (1956-1957) before coming to Norton.

David Stuewe’s tenure at Norton is the stuff of legends. During his time as Director of Bands, the band experienced unprecedented growth and success. They performed half-time shows for Kansas State University football games in 1968 and 1969, performed an unprecedented three times at the Kansas Music Educators Association convention (1977, 1981, and 1986) and were invited to perform at the International Youth Festival in Austria in 1982.

In 1988, Mr. Stuewe stepped down as NCHS band director, but remained in the district as Junior High band director until 1993.

Mr. Stuewe was named the Outstanding Bandmaster of Kansas by the Kansas Bandmasters Association in 1991, and was inducted into the Kansas Music Educators Hall of Fame in 2001. After a long battle with cancer, he died at his winter home in Arizona on January 10, 2010. The David Stuewe Music Education Scholarship was established in his honor, providing annual financial assistance to a Norton senior who plans to pursue a career in music education.

1961

Mr. Stuewe’s First Year: 1958

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1978

With Mr. Roller, 1961