Cadets Announce Hall of Fame Class of 2023

Join us to celebrate the induction of our Class of 2023 at Homecoming Weekend, October 13-15! Click here for details.

On April 5, the Cadets Hall of Fame Committee met to conduct a final review of the candidates before casting their final votes for the Class of 2023. In that meeting, all members of the committee had an opportunity to speak about each candidate's qualifications.

"These decisions are always challenging, and this year was no exception" said Andy Warntz, Chairperson of the Cadets Hall of Fame Committee. "The 2023 ballot was filled with great Cadets, and we had robust conversations about every one's contributions to our corps."

Per the Cadets Hall of Fame Operating Procedures, nominees must receive 60 percent of the votes in order to be inducted into the Cadets Hall of Fame. With nine (9) members actively serving on the committee, that means candidates must receive a minimum six (6) votes to qualify for induction.

The following are the inductees who make up the Cadets Hall of Fame Class of 2023. These candidates all received 80 to 100 percent of the votes. The entire Cadets organization thanks them for their outstanding contributions to The Cadets' legacy and congratulates them on their induction into the Cadets Hall of Fame!

Legacy Category (1934-1982)

• Jim Cardaneo
• Frank Dorritie

Contemporary Category (1983 – Present)

• Joan and Noel Borden
• Jonathan Schwartz
• Jack and Ellen Warntz

The members of the Class of 2023 will be honored and inducted into the Cadets Hall of Fame at a special event during The Cadets' Homecoming Weekend, October 13-15, 2023. Stay tuned to cadets.org for event details in the coming months.

Read more about our 2023 inductees below. These write-ups are excerpts from the candidates' nomination and support letters.

Jim Cardaneo

Nominated by Hall of Famer Bob Cardaneo with support letters from Hall of Famers Bill Gaeckle and John Hannigan

Jim joined the Garfield Cadets in 1967 and marched contra bass with the corps from 1967-70. After aging out, he joined the staff in 1973 and served as a color guard and drill instructor until 1978. In 1975 and 1976, Jim co-wrote the visual program with Cadets Hall of Famer John Tokar. In addition to working with the Cadets, Jim was also the color guard instructor for the Garfield Plebes' competitive guard in 1973 and 1974. During that time, he wrote and taught drill and helped to make the flags for the guard to use in competitions. Jim was a total Cadet. Not only did he march and instruct, he drove the truck, built and fixed equipment, sewed flags, and drove most of the miles in the staff van while on tour. The years he spent marching with and instructing the corps made him the person he is today, and he credits his time with the Cadets as a major factor in shaping his life.

Frank Dorritie

Nominated by Hall of Famer Greg Cinzio with support letters from Cadets Alumni Don Polzo and Rocco Carbone

There are instructors who help you to play correct notes, and then there are teachers who help make you a better player and person. Frank, most definitely, was a teacher. He made rehearsals interesting, educational, and even, at times, fun. He helped convert local kids from bugle players into brass performers. Many of his students in the Cadets never had a trumpet lesson much less marching-band experience -- just plain old drum corps experience with crude instruments -- but plenty of heart and dedication. Frank was an assistant horn instructor with the Cadets in 1969 and 1970. He wrote the musical score for the corps' famous 1971 show, Revolutionary War, and then helped to rebuild the hornline from 1974-77, writing the brass charts each year, working together with Jim D’Amico (1974-76), and then Dennis Dewey, Bob Cardaneo, and Rich DeCola in 1977. You can see and hear the Cadets mature from 1973-77 thanks to Frank's hard work and dedication to the brass program.

Joan and Noel Borden

Nominated by The Cadets Brass Caption Manager Dr. Matt Stratton with support letters from Cadets Alumni Jana Bocook and Yusuka Takahata

Joan and Noel started their time with The Cadets in 1987 when Joan was volunteering as a nurse for the corps and Noel was volunteering as a bus driver. They did this for many years and continued volunteering in many ways until the mid-2000s.  Noel was always a positive person for the corps members and showed a lot of care, always employing some humor to lighten up their days. Joan was not only a nurse, but like a corps mom to the members. She assisted with sewing patches on corps jackets, providing medication, and just advocating for the members. Joan and Noel were recognized as DCI Volunteers of the Year for their work with The Cadets. When The Cadets were one of the first drum corps to gain members from Japan, Joan and Noel began a long legacy of hospitality and care towards international members. They often welcomed international Cadets to stay in their home during the winter months between camps, showing them the same care they showed their own children. This was very impactful for Japanese Cadets as well as members from other places across the globe. The love and care for the corps members was at the core of their dedication to The Cadets and truly embodies what The Cadets Drum Corps is all about.

Jonathan Schwartz

Nomination by Hall of Famer Christine Tetzlaff with support letters from Hall of Famer Colin McNutt and Cadets Alumnus Keith Potter

Jonathan Schwartz was in The Cadets Color Guard from 1990-94 and was the color guard captain in 1994. He then served the corps as a guard technician from 1995-96, choreographer from 1997-98, technician and choreographer from 2003-04 and color guard caption supervisor from 2005-07. As a marching member, Jonathan brought his zest for life to the organization from the minute he walked in the door. The young kid from Long Island, N.Y., quickly became one of the leading members of the color guard. Jonathan was a joy to march with, always having a smile on his face no matter how hard some of those long rehearsal days might have been. When he became a member of the instructional staff, he brought that same zest for life to his approach when teaching. Jonathan would lead the whole corps in morning stretch and would kick-start the day with a special energy unlike anyone else. He was motivating and inspiring to the whole corps. Jonathan had a huge impact on the entire in his time as a corps member and staff member.

Jack and Ellen Warntz

Nominated by Cadets Alumna Cara Warntz with support letters from Hall of Famers Steve Kieffer and Greg Pych

In the summer of 1984, Jack and Ellen Warntz donated money to the Garfield Cadets after a food truck incident that left the corps in need of funds. This put them on the corps' mailing list, and a few months later, in the fall of 1984, they saw a request for volunteers to cook, so they went to the first camp in November to volunteer. After that, Jack and Ellen cooked at every Cadets winter camp through 1992 and dedicated all of their summer vacation time to tour with the corps, working on the food truck. After cooking all day, Jack would then drive a van at night until being too tired to continue. Jack and Ellen were also very welcoming souls and showed love and care to all members as if they were her own children. They would often pull out their credit card to buy groceries for the day when the corps was tight on money, not even asking for reimbursement because they knew that type of donation was needed to keep the corps moving down the road. Often, you’d see Ellen outside of the food truck talking with kids who were dealing with stress or being homesick, lending an ear or a shoulder to cry on. She would help kids dealing with injuries, sew silk inserts into the wool sleeves of the uniform for a member who was allergic to wool, or buy mole skin for members whose heals were rubbed raw by the leather shoes the corps wore in the 80s. Even after their time as volunteers, Jack and Ellen continue to be great financial supporters of the corps to this day. Their love and dedication to The Cadets continues and has become a family legacy, as their son marched in The Cadets Front Ensemble in 1992 and Holy Bass in 1996 and 1997, and their grand-daughter marched in the Cadets² Front Ensemble from 2015-18 and The Cadets Front Ensemble from 2019-22. Even though they never wore the uniform, Jack and Ellen's care for the corps and work ethic truly embodies what The Cadets are all about.