Rah rah sis boom bah

March 1, 11:49 AMGenealogy ExaminerSusan E King

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Genealogy Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Photo of Johnny Campbell, widely
considered the "World's First Cheerleader".
This image came from a University of
Minnesota press release about the history
of Cheerleading and the 100th anniversary
celebration.
 

Well that's what most of us remember growing up, but that is not quite it! And what pray tell does this have to do with genealogy?

Since it is National Cheerleaders Week, one could only wonder how cheerleading actually began in America. It is interesting what we found out.

The precursors of cheerleading began appearing at Princeton University in the latter half of the 19th century. In the 1880's when a Princeton graduate name Thomas Peebles brought the game of American football to the University of Minnesota, he also brought the idea of organized fan cheers.

It wasn't until November 2,1898 after a losing streak in football, a Minnesota medical student name Johnny Campbell stepped out in front of the crowd and began leading cheers. 

So, about 10 days later it was reported that a squad of yell-leaders was forming for the football game between Northwestern University and Minnesota. Minnesota won the game 17-6 with the credit for that victory largely going to Campbell and his squad and making him the very first cheerleader.

“The following,” the Ariel reported on November 12, “were nominated to lead the yelling today: Jack Campbell, F.G. Kotlaba, M.J. Luby, Albert Armstrong, of the Academics; [Price] Wickersham, of the Laws; and [Jennings] Litzenberg, of the Medics. These men should see to it that everybody leaves the park today breathless and voiceless – as this is the last game here, it ought to be a revelation to the people of Minneapolis in regard to University enthusiasm. The various sections should follow the lead of their captains with spirit, and in this way the game will be won, if systematic, energetic cheering and never-say-die encouragement and support can do it.”

In 1903, the first cheerleading fraternity, Gamma Sigma was founded. Cheerleading started out as an all-male activity, but females began participating in 1923, due to limited availability of female collegiate sports. At this time, gymnastics, tumbling, and megaphones were incorporated into popular cheers, and are still used today. Today it is estimated that 97% of cheerleading participants overall are female, but males still make up 50% of cheering squads at the collegiate level. 

So who is Johnny Campbell? Well from the little research, I thought I would do, I found there was little known information about this young man or his family origins! In true form, I decided to sleuth it out.

Here are some interesting insights never before published, so it seems. The records used determine these hypotheses are included in the slide show below.

He was born John E. Campbell on 03 Apr 1875 in St Paul, Minnesota to Norman Campbell and his wife Lena. He had two siblings, Theodore N Campbell and Lula J. Campbell. His family ran a boarding house until his father died between 1880-1895.

His father was born in Scotland and his mother in Weidenberg, Bayern, Germany. The disparity in the age spread between his two parents was 29 years.  His mother immigrated to the USA when she was 16 years old.

He did become a physician and married a Mary J and had two daughters, Adelaide and Mildred. There is no information on whether or not these two daughters married. It is also known that his brother was an inmate in the Minnesota State Prison in 1920 and did not find any record of a marriage for either he or his sister.

John died tragically in a car accident on November 24, 1936 and it was reported that he had never missed a home game.

A registry report of what I learned is below and while not complete, I can also attest that I was unable to find an existing family tree anywhere. If anyone does, let me know!

Postcard: Cornell University cheerleader,
1908 postcard "... this 1906 Ithaca, New York
postcard of a pretty cheerleader lady in red,
waving a red-and-white Cornell University
pennant and cheering the Big Red on!
From R. Hill’s University Series, N

It was also interesting to learn that there are at least three past Presidents among a list of known famous cheerleaders:

Kirk Douglas, Jimmy Stewart, Meryl Streep, Terri Hatcher, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McDonnell, Eve Plumb (Brady Bunch), President George W. Bush, Paula Abdul, Ann-Margaret, Kim Bassinger, Halle Berry, Betty Buckley,Sandra Bullock, Deana Carter,Sen. Thad Cochran, Katie Couric, Pres. Dwight Eisenhower, Barbara Hershey , Reba McIntire, Jessica Lange, Jack Lemmon, Sen. Trent Lott,  Susan Lucci, Shirley MacLaine, Madonna, Steve Martin, Mary McDonnell, Annie Potts, Diane Sawyer, Cybil Shepard, Sissy Space, Aaron Spelling, Lilly Tomlin, Raquel Welch, Vanna White, Rita Wilson, President Ronald Reagan.

To compile the Family Registry below, I used Ancestry.com and Family Tree Maker 2009 Essentials.

Family Registry - Norman Campbell