First woman to dot the ‘I’ returns for 50th anniversary of women in marching band

Jan Duga alongside her father, Jules Duga, after making history as the first woman to dot the ‘I’ Sept. 8, 1979. Photo Courtesy of Jan Duga.

Nearly 44 years ago to the day, Jan Duga became the first woman to ever dot the ‘I’ in Script Ohio. 

In honor of the 50th anniversary of women in the Ohio State Marching Band, it turned back the clock and welcomed many of its former members to the Buckeyes home opener and 2023 Marching Band Alumni Day Saturday. 

Most notably, Duga, who made history Sept. 8, 1979, and has since returned twice to dot the ‘I’ in both 2013 and 2023. 

“It’s a history-making moment,” Duga said. “You’re there in front of 100,000 people watching and everybody’s focused on those ‘I’ dots. And yeah, you had a job to do so you did it.”

When Duga arrived in 1976 — three years after women were allowed to join — she said there were just over 30 female members out of the 224. The tuba and sousaphone section was the last to integrate women. 

In Duga’s fourth year, she became eligible to dot the ‘I.’ 

Because of seniority and the number of prior games she’d marched, Duga had her pick between the Cleveland Browns versus Dallas Cowboys game in Cleveland, Ohio, or the alumni game at Ohio Stadium. 

For Duga, it was the obvious choice. 

“I said if I’m doing this, I’m making history at the same time,” Duga said. 

Duga said she remembers the day well. The Buckeyes defeated Syracuse 31-8, but the real win was playing the sousaphone alongside her father, Jules Duga. 

Jan Duga’s father was an Ohio State Marching Band member from 1949-53 and the first-ever two-time ‘I’ dotter. Jan Duga’s mother and younger sister also attended the university — she said it was like she was ‘predestined.’ 

“I was looking through some old pictures a little bit ago, and there’s a picture of me as a baby with a little T-shirt on that has, ‘Ohio State University with two question marks,’ for whenever I graduate,” Jan Duga said. 

Jan Duga said the day she dotted and made history, her father was playing in the alumni band. He was playing at the top of the West ‘O,’ while Jan Duga was on the south end. 

She said she remembers her father looking over at her to see her actually dot the ‘I.’

In years since, Jan Duga was able to come back to the alumni games and march next to her father. She said she shared a huge bond with him, which is a ‘very special thing.’

“They would always put us together in the formations,” Jan Duga said. “I’ve marched next to him, which was really cool. We’d support each other along the way because it’s no easy feat.”

Her father, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 88, was honored at the pregame skull session Saturday with an alumni marching band lifetime achievement award. The award is given to those who were great marchers, but also Jan Duga said, ‘If it weren’t for them, things in the world wouldn’t have been changed.”

Jan Duga said she and her family couldn’t be more proud.

At the game, Jan Duga made her return to the field at halftime. It was a quadruple Script Ohio and featured — for the first time ever — four female ‘I’ dotters, three of whom were from the past and, on the southside, the only current eligible sousaphone player, Isabel Slaven. 

Slaven is now the 29th female to ever dot the ‘I.’

“I’m really honored to be able to not only dot at this game, but also represent so many women in the past, present and future,” Slaven said. “It’s going to be so special.”

Jan Duga was on the north side, Wendy Bauer Reeves (1989-93) on the west and Cathryn MacQueen Skedel (1989-90) on the east. The alumni band was joined by the varsity band and Ohio State’s women’s glee club. 

Slaven said she received a kind video message from Jan Duga earlier on in the week and was so excited for the chance to meet her and play with her.

“In the south end zone, I just keep imagining seeing Jan in the north end zone,” Slaven said. “Which is going to be an insane feeling when she’s actually there thinking that she was the first and then I’m doing it.”

Not only was there a vast female alumni presence, Slaven said the entire halftime show was about women, from the arrangers to the song’s artists. 

Jan Duga had a 30-year-long career in the U.S. Air Force Band and is currently a freelance musician in Washington, D.C. 

Nearly half a century later, Jan Duga said this is a special one and she always looks forward to coming back to her roots.