Bill Bissell, 70; College Band Director Co-Created ‘the Wave’

Bill Bissell, 70, a former University of Washington marching band director who co-created the sporting event staple known as “the wave,” died Wednesday in his sleep of unknown causes at his home in Bothell, Wash.

The wave, in which spectators stand up and raise their arms and then sit down as the group movement sequentially makes its way around a stadium, originated at the 1981 homecoming game when Bissell and former Washington yell leader Robb Weller teamed to instruct the crowd.

As with most popular fads, however, others also have claimed to have created the innovative cheer.

Born in Dunsmuir, Calif., and reared in Ashland, Ore., Bissell received a bachelor’s degree in music education from Willamette University and a master’s degree in music from the University of Illinois.

Bissell, who directed the Huskies band from 1970 until his retirement in 1994, was known for his humorous flair: When the band received new uniforms in 1977, the members shed their old ones at halftime to the tune of “The Stripper.”