According to Al Sauro, Ryerson pioneer and former faculty member and dean, the original Ryerson Song was written in five minutes, at the request of Principal Howard Kerr, who wanted to promote school spirit, especially during Ryerson sporting events. The Song was written in 1950. The following year, the Song was modified by both Sauro and Rennie Charles, the Song's co-writers. A new verse was written as the first verse ("Give us light...") whereas the original two verses ("RIT we will fight..." and "Long may you thrive...") and music served as refrain. It appears that the Ryerson Song may have been known mainly for its second and third verses, as the first verse is rarely referred to in documentation relating to the Song. The lyrics for the Song can be found in the "Music at Ryerson" documentation file. The instrumental rendition of the Ryerson Song, played by the Ryerson Band, was initially recorded on a 78 rpm audio disc (RG 210.5.06). It was subsequently dubbed onto contact disc in 2005 (RG 210.5.05) by John Hajdu of the Digital Media Projects Office. Documentation and descriptive information regarding the transfer process to CD are included with A. 2006-014. As well as the approimately 2 minute song, the Ryerson Band plays several jazz numbers on the reecording for a total time of 16:40.