Picturing the Past: Brevard High School Cheerleaders Boost Morale at 1950 Annual Classic

 

1950 Annual Classic with Brevard High School Blue Devils and Tryon Tigers Cheerleaders

This exuberant photo depicts Brevard High School cheerleaders on October 20, 1950 at the Annual Classic “Parent’s Night”. The BHS cheerleaders are wearing their white home jerseys with lettering that spells out Brevard, with a couple of back-up B’s. The cheerleaders in the slightly different shade and T’s on their jerseys are from the opposing team – the Tryon Tigers. This team came from the now-defunct Tryon High School, which was absorbed into the consolidated Polk County High School in the late 1990s.

Parent’s Night was sponsored by the Monogram Club, which provided free admission for all parents of football players and cheerleaders. At half-time, each team member and their parent(s) walked onto the field and were announced over loudspeakers. Alumni were also honored at these games and given a special ribbon to wear. The Brevard Blue Devils beat the Tryon Tigers 14 – 6, though the camaraderie between the cheerleaders of both teams indicates that there were no hard feelings.

1950 Brevard High School Cheerleaders, from the Transylvania Times

Cheerleaders included Georgia Ann Reid, Billy Gardner, unknown Tryon cheerleader (UTC), UTC, Joanne Newland, UTC, Donald Lee Green, UTC, UTC, Shirley Wilde, UTC, Marylyn Brewer, Virginia Osborne (chief), Shirley Gaither, and Billie Hart. Other cheerleaders not pictured included Patsy Ann Parrish and Betty Wheeler. The mascot is William Arnette.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. This article was written by Local History Librarian Laura Gardner. For more information, comments, or suggestions, contact NC Room staff at ncroom@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.