Jim Unrath

Jim Unrath was a radio host, producer and announcer of classical concerts from Chicago, IL. Born 1937, died 2015. As a host for 40 years of a variety of prominent syndicated radio programs that originated from Chicago’s WFMT classical music juggernaut, Jim also produced a legendary series of prize-winning documentaries conducted by Studs Terkel. He additionally announced syndicated concerts by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and The Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Jim was also one of the icons of DCI’s early years. While he was largely known for his work as a drum corps judge, he made many other contributions to the marching music activity that included editing DCI World Championship audio recordings and coordinating the audio production for DCI’s television broadcasts during the 1980s. As a child, he sang in the Texas Boys' Choir before moving to the Chicago area and studying acting at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago. His sister joined the Des Plaines Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps and introduced him to a lifelong love affair of drum corps. Over his long tenure with the organization, he served as a brass instructor, manager in 1967-1968, program coordinator in 1972-1973, and director in 1973. He actively judged drum corps from 1959 through 1985, and wrote the rules manual for the Central States Judges Association. That exhaustive document became the “bible” for the entire activity, as well as the foundation for all future rules proposals. Somehow, Jim also found the time to spearhead DCI’s Rules Congress procedures at a time when rules were changing at a rapid-fire pace. Jim was inducted into the Drum Corps International (DCI) Hall of Fame in 1989.