Jack Drussa: Musician and Racing Pioneer

The Library recently acquired a digital donation of material related to Jack Drussa. In his youth, Drussa was a member of Springfield’s Boy Scout Band, and as an adult, he was a pioneer of early auto racing in the Ozarks. Drussa’s collection highlights rare material from both of these important aspects of Springfield’s rich history.

Part of the Band

One of Springfield’s most venerable musical institutions, the Boy Scout Band was organized to ensure musical opportunities were available to young people in the community. Its founder, R. Ritchie Robertson, was a native of Scotland who moved to the United States in 1900. In 1916, he settled in Springfield and worked as the musical director for Springfield public schools. Robertson formed the Boy Scout Band in 1920 with a group of 50 members. Just eight years later, it had grown to 440 members and was the largest Boy Scout Band in the country. Through Robertson’s leadership, the band’s performances gained national recognition and even earned them presentations for two presidents, Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Jack Drussa was part of Springfield’s Boy Scout Band from 1930 to 1938. The band was the largest Boy Scout Band in the country. Images courtesy Leigh Ann (Drussa) Hoover Collection.

Clipping from the Springfield (Mo.) News & Leader, April 24, 1938. Image Courtesy Leigh Ann (Drussa) Hoover Collection.

Born in 1920, Jack Drussa joined Springfield’s Boy Scout Band at 10 years old and assumed the role of solo cornetest. He remained part of the band under R. Ritchie Robertson’s leadership until 1938. During his time with the band, Drussa performed at sporting events, including a September 14, 1935 performance at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis before the start of a Cardinals game against the New York Giants. The performance was organized by Cardinals President Sam Breadon who arranged for the band to be transported from the passenger depot to the ballpark on three large buses with a motorcycle escort. Just over 800 Springfield residents made the trip to St. Louis where they saw the band play “The Star Spangled Banner” as the Cardinals raised the American Flag and their World Series Championship banner. After their performance, the boys watched the game from seats behind home plate.

An avid musician, Drussa also played the trumpet in the Senior High School band. Under the direction of R. Ritchie Robertson’s son James Robertson, the high school band competed at Omaha’s national music festival in May 1938. The trip to Nebraska required the students to raise $1,900 for their expenses, which they earned by hosting ice cream socials, bridge parties, and a concert at their gymnasium. The band tied for first place with two other groups from Colorado and Iowa. The band wasn’t the only local group to earn accolades. Senior High’s orchestra also made the trip and won first place in the orchestra division.

Racing to the Top

In addition to music, Jack Drussa had a passion for auto racing, and he became a well known competitor during the formative years of the Fairgrounds Speedway. Auto racing in the Ozarks began in 1908 with a race from Springfield to Republic and back, but it really took root in 1937 at the Ozark Empire Fair when cars competed on a renovated half-mile horse track.

Jack Drussa working on the engine of his race car. Photo by John R. McGuire. Image Courtesy Leigh Ann (Drussa) Hoover Collection.

While strict rationing put an end to racing during World War II, its popularity grew tremendously in the post-war years. Small, powerful cars with four-cylinder engines became popular in racing circuits. The official term for these cars was “midgets,” a term that is still used to classify these vehicles. (Editor’s Note: The term is not connected to the pejorative term historically used to describe individuals with dwarfism. There is currently no widely accepted replacement term for these cars within the racing community, so we have made the editorial decision to retain its usage in this context.) Midget car racing drew large crowds throughout the country, and local promoters quickly built tracks to meet the demand.

Soon, two midget tracks were under construction in Springfield. In 1947, the Fair Board built a ⅕-mile track at the Fairgrounds. Constructed in the infield of the half-mile speedway where larger sprint cars raced, the midget track opened on May 23. Meanwhile, construction began on McCracken Field, another ⅕-mile oval located just off of Blackman Road in east Springfield. Both tracks were sanctioned by the American Automobile Association (AAA) and featured drivers who toured the country racing midget cars.

Portrait of Jack Drussa in his race car. Photo by John R. McGuire. Image Courtesy Leigh Ann (Drussa) Hoover Collection.

Drussa and a handful of local drivers competed in their own feature race at each event, helping lay the foundation for local drivers competing on area tracks. It was in one of these features at the last race of the 1948 season where Drussa took the checkered flag in a memorable finish. Drussa led from the start and pulled away to a comfortable lead. Throughout the race, however, Billy Joe Adams slowly closed the gap until he pulled alongside Drussa on the last lap. Sparks flew off the cars as both drivers pushed to the finish line, and Drussa got the victory by just a few feet.

The popularity of midget car racing in Springfield declined in the early 1950s. In its place, stock car racing thrived as local drivers turned older model passenger cars into racing machines. Other tracks sprang up around the Ozarks, giving fans and drivers more choices than ever. Drussa was one of many drivers who embraced this new era of Ozarks racing, but unfortunately, it was a time when motorsports were especially dangerous. The cars had few built-in safety features, and drivers wore little protective gear. Crashes were common, and drivers were lucky to escape serious injury.

Jack Drussa’s damaged race car after a crash at the Fairgrounds Speedway on May 13, 1951. Image Courtesy Leigh Ann (Drussa) Hoover Collection.

Drussa experienced those dangers at least twice in his driving career. Once, during a practice run at the Fairgrounds, Drussa’s midget car crashed through the fence in turn two. A rail went through the cockpit and narrowly missed Drussa. He was rushed to the hospital but returned to the track before the racing ended, saying he only suffered a few minor bruises.

Unfortunately, Drussa did not escape so easily from his stock car. Once again at the Fairgrounds, Drussa’s car rolled over in turn three during a feature race. Unable to avoid the car in the middle of the track, Bob Brown, Dwight (Mack) McGuire, and Cecil Tate crashed into Drussa’s already damaged vehicle. The top of Drussa’s car caved in, and track workers feared they would have to cut it off to get him out. Instead, they removed the injured driver through the trunk, and Drussa was rushed to the hospital with a dislocated shoulder and many cuts and bruises.

Jack Drussa standing next to his race car at the Fairgrounds Speedway. Image Courtesy Leigh Ann (Drussa) Hoover Collection.

Drussa owned midget cars long after his racing career ended. Drussa also owned and ran a plumbing company, with the Springfield Daily News calling him “a plumber for a living and a midget racer for the fun of it.” He was a member of many civic organizations including the Abu Ben Adhem Shrine where he participated in their marching band. In recognition of his contributions to local motorsports, Drussa was inducted into the Ozarks Area Racers Hall of Fame in 2005. Jack Drussa died January 14, 1990, and is buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery in Clever, Missouri.

Learn More at the Library

The Library has a number of resources for you to explore related to the Boy Scout Band and auto racing in the Ozarks. Local History & Genealogy currently features two temporary exhibits, “Scouting The Ozarks,” and “R. Ritchie Robertson: Conductor of the Boy Scout Band.” Using photographs and physical objects from the Library’s archival collection, these displays tell the story of the Boy Scouts and their activities around the Ozarks. A featured artifact is Jack Drussa’s Boy Scout uniform and hat, generously on loan from his family. Among the Library’s artifacts is the baton Robertson used to conduct his famous band. The Library has also developed a digital resource, Scouting in the Ozarks which features images of scouting activities from around the region. The colorful history of motorsports in southwest Missouri is explored through the Library’s website, The Fairgrounds and Beyond: Auto Racing in the Ozarks.

For Further Reading:

“Organization Of Boy Scout Band Nearly Completed,” Springfield (Mo.) Republican, October 19, 1920, 1.

“As Springfield Boy Scout Band Paraded Sportsman’s Park,” Springfield (Mo.) Leader & Press, September 16, 1935, 4.

“Scout Band Plays And Parades Field,” Springfield (Mo.) News & Leader, September 15, 1935, 9.

“Two Midget Race Tracks Being Constructed Here,” Springfield (Mo.) News & Leader, March 23, 1947, 21 A.

“Dallas Driver Cops First Midget Race,” Springfield (Mo.) News & Leader, May 25, 1947, 7 B

“Harleman Snares Midget Feature,” Springfield (Mo.) Daily News, October 9, 1948, 5.

“Drussa Injured In Stock Car Race Accident,” Springfield (Mo.) Daily News, May 14, 1951, 5.

“On the fast track,” Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader, January 28, 2005, 1, 6 D.