Dedication of the Duane L. Montgomery Auditorium

Community celebration honors longtime Chimacum music educator, founder of the marching band and author of the school Alma Mater

Duane and Mary Lou Montgomery

On June 4, Chimacum students, alumni, families, staff and community members gathered to dedicate the newly named Montgomery Auditorium at Chimacum Jr./Sr. High School. The evening honored the life and legacy of Duane L. Montgomery, longtime Chimacum teacher, band director, coach, mentor, founder of the Chimacum Marching Band and author of the Chimacum Alma Mater in 1955.

The dedication followed action by the Chimacum School Board to rename the high school auditorium in honor of Montgomery and the enduring legacy of the Montgomery family. The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners also proclaimed June 4, 2026, as Duane L. Montgomery Day in Jefferson County, recognizing his decades of service to students, music and community life.

Built as part of the 1959 high school, the auditorium has long been central to Chimacum history and the Jefferson County performing arts scene. Many remembered it as the “House that Duane Built,” a tribute to Montgomery’s vision and influence on community arts. Duane and Mary Lou Montgomery came to Chimacum as teachers in 1954 and helped make music a lasting part of the school experience. Mary Lou, who was seated in the front row at the dedication, also served generations of students as a general music teacher, chorus director and drama club director.

The June 4 celebration was filled with student music and community pride. Students from second through twelfth grade performed, including music classes, drumlines, the Chimacum Jr./Sr. High Band and a combined finale singing the Alma Mater. Duane and Mary Lou’s great-grandchildren, Hayden and Hailey, also performed.

As Chimacum’s marching band prepares to represent

our state in Washington, D.C. on July 4 for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration, the dedication reminded everyone that “the blue and white lives on forever.”