Nebraska Yell Squads Celebrate 100 Years of Cheers

Lincoln -- More than 250 former Nebraska Yell Squad members will attend a 100-year reunion on this weekend. Debra Kleve White, a member of the Nebraska Yell Squad in 1977 to 80, has spearheaded the extensive research and organized the reunion as well as the newly created Cheerleaders Alumni Club. Her records have identified more than 600 Nebraska Yell Squad members who have cheered on Husker teams since 1903. White is a graduate of Seward High School, who spent a greater part of her life in Lincoln, and now resides in Austin, Texas. White has devoted more than a year of research, correspondence, phone calls and hours of planning for the weekend.

Athletic Director Steve Pederson will be the guest speaker at the dinner to be held on Friday evening at the Embassy Suites (1040 P Street) in Lincoln. A cocktail hour will begin at 6 p.m., with dinner and a program to follow at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Sept. 6, the squad will be honored at halftime of the Nebraska vs. Utah State football game, following the Cornhusker Marching Band performance. In conjunction with the reunion, former Husker cheerleader Travis Ford, who was killed while serving in Iraq, will be honored as part of halftime ceremonies. The first annual Travis Ford Person of Inspiration Award will be presented at the banquet on Friday.

White's research has identified many fascinating facts and former members with unique stories. Former yell squad members who will be in attendance this weekend include: Art Pinkerton (yell squad member from 1930-1932, Omaha), who is currently 92 years old and the oldest living member of the club; John Mason (1939-1941), whose uncle Cy Mason was on 1906 football team; Annette Hudson Clay (1969-1972) Nebraska's first African-American female cheerleader; and John Madden III (1956-1957) who founded the Serendipity Singers, produced six albums and appeared on 30 network TV shows (including The Ed Sullivan Show). There have been two mother-daughter Yell Squad members, one father-son combination and five sets of twins have cheered together on squads.

On Oct. 18, 1901, Dr. Clemonts, Dr. Roscoe Pound and Prof. Wyer held a meeting with eight students to form a "Rooters Club." On Oct. 28 of that year, Nebraska students produced their first effort at organized cheering. Dean Pound was a leader in forming the Innocents Society in 1903, an organization who is also celebrating its 100th year anniversary and will also be recognized at halftime. In 1903, the Innocents took charge of "rooting." Since then, there have been cheerleaders directing the organized yells. While Nebraska fans are now famous for cheering opposing teams when they leave the field, the tradition really began 90 years ago. At a 1913 Innocents meeting, the members voted and approved to cheer for 1) the opposing team when they came on the field; 2) when a man is injured; and 3) at the end of the game.

According to the "Weekend Focus" section of the Lincoln Journal Star in 1971, Nebraska was one of the first schools to allow female cheerleaders. A former football player from the early 1900s, Earl O. Eager, helped establish a girl's cheering section in the stands. According to the newspaper account, "Eager's brainstorm no doubt eased the way for an N.U. ?first' in 1917 ? cheerleaders in skirts." R.M. "Dick" Lamb, historian of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, said he had "quite authoritative information that Nebraska was the first school to employ girl cheerleaders."

For more information, contact Chris Anderson at 402-472-2263. Media wanting to conduct interviews are welcome to attend the cocktail hour at the Embassy Suites (on Friday, Sept. 5, at 6 p.m. On display at the Embassy Suites is a 19-foot timeline of photos and a unique collection of uniforms and cheerleader accessories and dolls.