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Prior to his stint with the great Jean Goldkette band, slide trombonist Speigle Willcox was with the Al Deisseroth Orchestra in 1920, and then with Tige Jewitt in 1922. He joined a band called the Big Four, later that year. The Big Four was actually an octet and they were based in Ithaca, New York. Paul Whiteman discovered the band in 1922, and changed the name of the group to The Collegians. He brought the group to New York City for gigs and recording dates. Speigle remained with the Collegians until early 1925 and then joined the Jean Goldkette Orchestra in October 1925. Victor issued three sides by The Collegians. Speigel recalled that, "When we made those three Victor records, Paul Whiteman was nowhere to be seen, just The Collegians. There we were - this was prior to microphones - blowing into the big horn, with the same producer, Eddie King, as we recorded with later with the Goldkette Orchestra in that very same room in New York.