Clara Mae Ward came to UW-Eau Claire as the music teacher in 1923. Immediately upon her arrival at the school, she started several music groups and revitalized the already existing ones at the school. She would continue to organize new music groups in her first few years as music director. In 1928, she started the A Cappella Choir made up of the best singers from the girls’ and boys’ glee clubs. The A Cappella Choir quickly became one of the most successful music groups on campus, performing at several conferences and contests within its first few years. The Choir saw some of its greatest success during the 1930s: performing several programs on various radio stations and touring around the country. Perhaps their most notable performances came during a 1939 East Coast tour where they performed at the World’s Fair in New York and at the White House. During World War II, the choir performed at several military camps and hospitals, as well as war rallies and fundraisers. They were awarded a certificate by the Music War Council of America.