Seventy-one Years Ago--A Red Letter Day

Sunday, November 29, 1953 will go down in Northeastern A&M college's records as one of the most significant dates in the local institution's history. NEO received the Eastern bid to participate in the Junior Rose Bowl football game at Pasadena on December 12. NEO, which came into being as the "School of Mines" back in 1919, has never before basked in the national spotlight. 

NEO Coaches: Dewey Lynch, Head Coach Red Robertson, Bill Smith

The Norsemen, a rugged gridiron squad has overwhelmed nine rivals this season. They are expected to give Bakersfield, California Jr. College a rousing battle. It is hoped that the game will be another smashing triumph for Red Robertson's aggregation.

 November 30, 1953 Three hitchhikers in an automobile near Vinita heard the radio bulletin: "Northeastern A&M will play in the Jr. Rose Bowl!"

The husky trio let out a whoop and asked the driver, a young lady, to please stop at the nearest public telephone. Jim Wilmoth, Darrell Brooks and Jerry Price couldn't wait to reach Miami before calling home--collect, of course--who could blame them. 

The three hitchhikers will be traveling first-class to Pasadena next weekend. All three are members of the powerful Northeastern football team. Wilmoth and Brooks play guard, and Price is a flashy halfback. "We will win. I'm sure of it." Carter declared after receiving the bid.

No one worked harder promoting the team than Homa Thomas, business instructor and sports publicist. 

December 6, 1953

The Miami News Record reports that the entire NEO football team will be going to Pasadena and so are the Norse Stars...the Airforce ROTC band...and others who can pay for the trip.

Dr. Bruce G. Carter, college president stated: We all get to go. We may eat hamburgers instead of "high off the hog," but the important thing is that we won't leave anybody behind." 

$5000 dollars-plus was raised in a whirlwind three-day rally, and still remains short of the $8,00 goal. Countless individuals have contributed to the fund. 

Lahoma Sue Thomas Weese (7th grader) , daughter of Homa Thomas, attended the game along with Barbara Sue Robertson (9th grader), daughter of Coach Red Robertson, Gladys Robertson, Pat Smith, and Lois Thomas. 

This is her memory of that trip Seventy-one years ago.

We began our excursion on Route 66 heading west through Oklahoma, where our eyes saw nothing but roadside gravel.

We spent our first night in Gallup, New Mexico. I only recall the hills were all reddish colored rocks. 

Now up and ready to go, we drove to the Grand Canyon. Here we explored the sights and grandeur of the canyon. We stayed at the oldest hotel, the El Tovar at the Grand Canyon. Here Barbara Sue and I found out that rubbing your feet on the carpet and touching someone or something like a doorknob would produce a spark of electricity. Can you imagine the fun the two of us had with our mothers that morning.

El Tovar Historic Hotel opened in 1905

After breakfast, we were on our way west. We noticed a young man walking down the road carrying a gas can. We stopped and asked if he needed help. He accepted our help, and we drove him to his car down the road. After the young man stepped out of the car and we were back on the road our mothers gave a great sigh of relief. It seems as though we were all a little nervous with a strange man in the car.

We enjoyed the sights along the way, not knowing what an interesting part of history we had seen going through all of the towns and seeing all of the sight along Route 66.

When we arrived in Pasadena each of us went to the places where we would stay.

One night we attended a filming of a TV show “What’s My Line?” It was Mel Blanc that night and after they recognized him, he performed many of the voices we recognized from the cartoons. After that we all walked across the street to the Formosa Café where a lot of the TV personalities would hang out. Barbara Sue and I saw Frank Sinatra, but we were to bashful to ask for his autograph.

The parade kicked off the game day in California. We all attended the parade ….

The game is another story for the record book.

Yes, we really won the game or would have won the game if the referee hadn’t moved the ball back to the one-yard line on our last touchdown. I know everyone says that, but in this case it’s true! They have admitted it.

The Miami News Record reported that Coach Robertson had nothing but praise for his boys. "The breaks went against us, but we were beaten by a really good ball club. I thought we had a victory until that fumble came along late in the third." Robertson was keenly disappointed with his team's failure to score when they had the ball on Bakersfield's three in the final stanza. Robertson said he thought Graham had scored on the dramatic foot-to-go plunge on the fourth down. Players, too, questioned the decision. But two of the five West Coast officials on duty said Graham's head, but not the ball penetrated the end zone. 

For the return trip the boys were sent home on the train. A train car was rented and Dad was the sponsor. It was a noisy trip with only one hitch. There was a 15-minute stop in Las Vegas, Nevada. As you would suspect, all of the boys got off the train car and ran into the station. When the 15 minutes were up, most of them got back on the train. A few were seen running down the tracks trying to catch the train. Dad pulled the emergency chord that stopped the train. I’m sure there were a few words exchanged with the Conductor, but Dad got his boys back on the train and didn’t care.

Kayleen Thomas, Norse Star writes: 

The Norse stars drove in private cars all the way out to Pasadena to be in the Junior Rose Bowl parade and perform at halftime. We wore two different uniforms our Indian one and our white Fringed one with hoops to do a New York rocket type routine.

The city dance teacher Virginia Lee Wilson was the choreographer for the North stars.

Betty Fields, NEO Band member writes: 

All the band marched in the parade--it was a long march, but the weather was warmer than for most football-marches! We also did a band routine at half-time. I think most band members made the long trip, but some people had already made other plans for the holidays. 

Thoughts by Literally Letty: 

Even though I was young, I heard this story of the Norsemen and Norse Stars going to the Junior Rose Bowl. numerous times.  I joined the Norse Star drill team in 1965 in hopes that we, too, would go to the Rose Bowl. NEO played in the Jr. College Rose Bowl in 1953, 1958 both times they were beaten, but never forgotten by their fans in Northeast Oklahoma. 

As lady luck would have it, my husband and I took the opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl, 2003 in which the University of Oklahoma beat Washington State 34-14. For the one and only time in my life we spent the morning in Pasadena watching the Rose Bowl Parade live, sitting immediately under Al Roker in the CBS tower.  It was one of the sports highlights of my life. 

NEO recently honored Homa Thomas for his dedication to the school and the athletes. Homa Thomas Field

The Norse Stars on the Campaign Trail

 October 1952

 A Mystery Ensues. Can you solve it? 

Left to Right: Zierta Foust, Pat Neel, Georganna McBee, Shirley Berry, ?, Nancy Schaff Ferguson, Dorothy Draeger, ?   
The uniforms shown above were each made by Hildreth Patrick, mother of Virginia Lee Wilson and grandmother to Tom Pat and Dr. Bob Wilson. 

How ironic that, during this season of ferocious campaigning for the Presidency, I should be writing about politics that relate to 1952 in my hometown of Miami, Oklahoma and the drill team that made history in 1952 (and later in 1953 with a performance at the Jr. College Rose Bowl).

If it had not been for Nancy Schaff Ferguson, I never would have known this colorful piece of Oklahoma history. Nancy Schaff was a member of the Norse Star drill team in 1952-53. She danced in the precision drill team the first two years of it’s inception under the direction of Virginia Lee Wilson. Nancy’s folks, Bernie and Helen Schaff were also good friends of my parents, Johnie and Helen Stapp.

On a warm August afternoon in Tulsa, Oklahoma this beautiful woman appeared at the desk of the Oklahoma Golf Magazine where I was selling my tribute to golf history “The History of the Miami, Oklahoma Golf and Country Club 1914-1984.”

She introduced herself and our connection with the Miami Golf and Country club. Thirty minutes later she handed me her copy of the LIFE magazine October 27, 1952, with instructions to give it to the Dobson Museum in Miami. There begins our story.

As an original member of this precision drill team for NEO A&M junior college she re

membered the excitement they shared at being asked to perform for the Democratic rally in Oklahoma City for Adlai Stevenson’s visit.

Between 1908 and 1948 Oklahoma voted Democratic for all but two elections. In the late summer and fall of 1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower campaigned heavily throughout the old solid Democratic South in hopes of winning the election.

At this time in history (1952) the eleven states of the old Confederacy were lumped together as “the solid South” with 128 electoral votes for the Democratic party. However, there was a handful of vulnerable states for the Republicans to capture: Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Texas, and Louisiana, Tennessee, and Alabama.

In his story, Robert T. Elson writes, "Oklahoma sat on the fringe of the Old South with "Little Dixie" known as the stronghold. The Democrats have remained loyal. The Oklahoma Democrats have energy and wealth on their side. Two Senators, Mike Monroney and Robert S. Kerr both energetically campaigned for Stevenson."

He goes on to write, "Even in 1948 when South Carolina's native son Strom Thurmond was running on the Dixiecrat ticket only 143,000 out of 480,000 registered voters went to the polls in November. But this year the Eisenhower invasion of the South has produced new highs in registration records and promises to bring out masses of new voters.

One voter explained, 'I am sick and tired of my vote being taken for granted. It is time for a change.'  In Ft. Worth 350 women representing 84 towns and cities paid their own way to attend a briefing on how to organize a precinct campaign." 

On November 4, 1952, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower easily defeated Democrat Adlai E. Stevenson. (Southern states voting Republican were Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma.)  

It is lost to history as to who invited the Norse Stars to perform at Stevenson’s speech in Oklahoma City and who renamed them, “Democratic Belles,"  for that occasion? What is known is that our hometown drill team took center stage and kicked those lovely long legs and white boots proudly into the air on an October day in 1952.

Here is what I know:

I have names for five of the women in the first picture but no order:  Shirley Berry, Gearyanna McBee, LaDonna...., Phyllis Berkey, and Nancy Schaff. 

Who might the other young women be?

Who invited the Norse Stars to perform in OKC?

Who changed their name to the "Democratic Belles."? Jordan Boyd from the Dobson Museum shared a photo from the NEO 1952-53 yearbook in which the Norse Stars are marching in the parade and the quote reads "A performance by the Belles of Oklahoma." We are wondering the "Democratic Belles" was used as a particular performance as to be politically generic and no assimilating the college in any way in the naming.

First row: 2nd from the left Lois Newton, mother of Karen Royalty.

Taking Center Stage: A True Story 1958

 

Tom and Virginia Lee Wilson’s Dance Recital memory

Miami Memories

 

View from the balcony (where the lovers used to meet).

        Before the floodlights and spotlights brush the stage, before the music begins and the plush burgundy curtains part, a world appearing in crisis is scurrying back stage, but the black and white photo of three future Rockettes shows childhood confidence and pride moments before the curtain call.  Three little girls are posing by the stage door, proudly grinning ear to ear in their colorful neon orange costumes, standing like Rockettes with an outside arm on the hip and the inside arm over shoulder, arm over shoulder, arm over shoulder and closed by an outside arm on the hip.

        Much of the excitement of that dance recital so many years ago is lost in the black and white shades of the Brownie Kodak camera photo (now lost on paper but not in my memory).   Our boots glistened pure white and silver tassels hung from the boot top.  Our white cowboy rolled hats were placed squarely on our heads with chins straps securely holding the hat in place.  Two blue eyed blondes adorned my sides while my shoulder length brunette hair hung to my shoulders.  No braces, no glasses, no earrings, no curves to our bodies, shapeless, yes, but lips flashed of Elizabeth Taylor red. Many of our mothers who never let us wear makeup allowed Virginia Lee and her mother to carefully line our lips and make us shine on stage.

        Our short dance dress costumes were sewn in the newest shiny neon material (never before seen on stage).  Mine a brilliant orange while my bookend friends are dressed in contrasting chartreuse green.  We could have passed for characters in Alice in Wonderland with those flashy colors.   The bodice of our costumes was fitted with darts and little puff sleeves.  I was mortified that I had darts, for I certainly didn’t own a bra, wear a bra, nor would I ever be caught dead in a bra.  Just the same I had darts up from the waist and arrowing across my flattened chest, but a giggle from some of us echoed that it was about womanhood.

        The twelve inch circular skirt was sewn to the bodice with a long zipper going up the back.  Unlike the surrey in the play Oklahoma our skirts had a fringe on the bottom.  Not just any fringe but silver glistening threads that sparkled in the flood lights.  When our dancing legs kicked in line our matching bloomers showed, and our conservative parents laughed.  The motivation to kick high came easily in our costumes.

        Now the Wilson Dance Recital was upon us.  A covey of nervous young girls huddled back stage awaiting the musical cue, but in the stilled silence of the dancers nervous breathing we could smell the stench of rotten fish emanating from a nearby unknown source.  Not a breath of air circulated back stage on that sultry June evening.  The sounds of “ Pee—ew” grew louder as the stench grew stronger the closer we all gathered.  Eyes scanned the area on the floor looking for the source of the sickening smell.  Mothering stage hands flew to our huddle to silence our fears, but nothing could silence the smell so strong that flowers could wilt and eyes could tear.   Suddenly, a whispered screamed and finger pointing explosion came my way.  “It’s you.  It’s you.  It’s on your back.” 

        “Smell it.  It’s on your back! Ugh, Letty.”

        “On my back,” I whispered in angry humiliated tones.  Nearly wrenching my neck peering backwards. I begged,  “Get it off whatever it is.”  All I could imagine was a dead stink bug stuck to my neon orange costume.

        No, the black and white photo does not show the oval tent shape of an iron left too long in place on the back of a costume from my mother's attempt to iron the wrinkles, nor the stench that arose from that never before used shiny neon material.  Nor does it show the disgust and moans of the dancers around a young girl when it was discovered that I was the source of the unusual odor only seconds before hearing our queue.  Before I could run and hide the music began.  My head snapped up and my heart dropped like a heavy bucket to my stomach.  The dance must go on. 

        Dancers pranced and giggled off stage and in seconds the three future Rockettes lined up proudly with hats squared.  Marching like well trained horses, one smelling of manure, we appeared on stage smiling ear to ear.  We strutted magnificently that night on stage at the Coleman Theater with tassels glistening making our parents proud.

        And yes, one little girl was made stronger that night by stepping onto center stage and kicking those tasseled boots high into the flood lights.

On stage about 1960. left to right young girls: ?, Lynette Rains Kemp, ? Nancy Owens, ? Letty Stapp Watt, Dottie Miller, Nancy Adams, Beverly Gaines. 

Letty Stapp Watt

I would love to hear your  memories or stories of the Coleman Theater or  in The Wilson Dance Recitals of the 1950's--1960's.  Please use the comment section below. 

*The original Coleman Theater was built by George Coleman and opened in April 1929. In my childhood the glory remained but had begun to fade. Now thanks to the Friends of the Coleman Theater it has been completely restored, and is the most magnificent theater that your mind can imagine.  Come travel Route 66 to Miami, Oklahoma and visit this stunning showcase. 

This photo of the replaced original carpet and shows the insignia of 
George L. Coleman Sr
Click on the link below for more information on the Coleman Theater
The Coleman Theatre

Remembering Passion

While walking the dog in the bitter cold winds, there in the dark recesses of my mind I spied a time and a person where I first experienced passion from the heart.  I saw myself, age eight, wearing a black leotard in the winter and climbing the steps to the second story dance studio where the heater didn't begin to warm the rooms. I shivered, but only for a moment.  Once she placed the

Virginia Lee Wilson. 

needle on the record, our bodies began to stretch and glide.  












Where did you first learn or see passion?

There she stood, not much taller than I stood in fourth grade,

Tom, Virginia, Tom Pat, Bobby Wilson.

clicking, tapping, shouting, demanding, and then guiding, repeating, and teaching us dance steps. We learned how to tap dance, glide pose, bend like a ballerina,  follow the footsteps of a partner in ballroom dancing, and move our bodies in rhythmic physical steps to the different beats of jazzy tunes. Every step she walked modeled passion; her passionate love of dance, of music, and most certainly of life.  Her passion may have shown itself in her feet, her moves, but truly it radiated from her heart. 

She also spent hours outside of her studio coaching, training, and

Norse Stars, NEO Drill Team 1953 

drilling a group of young ladies known as the Norse Stars.  During the 1950's and 1960's, we competed against the Kilgore Rangerettes ( History of Kilgore Rangerettes, Tyler Texas  Apache Belles (History of the Belles) for the best drill team in the nation.  Our performances placed us on center stage of the NEO football games, basketball games, NJCAA National Basketball tournament in Hutchinson, Ks., and parades. Through it all she pressed upon us the importance of drill, repetition, practice, and "smiling."  (Mrs. Sandmire was always there to add lipstick.) There were no goodies, rewards, or trinkets given for performances. She simply expected and demanded our best, and we willinging followed her lead, like trained dancers. I can't speak for others, but I most certainly dreamed of being a Rockette and performing in the Macy's Parade in NYC. 

I didn't grow up to be a professional dancer like some of her students, but I learned what Virginia Lee Wilson taught, that passion is powerful, and when we lead with passion from the heart we can make a difference.  

That dream and passion instilled from Virginia Lee made a difference throughout my life.  Most recently, on a family trip to New York City we spent an evening enjoying the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. 

How has passion made a difference in your life?