SOURCE: North Berrien Historical Museum on Facebook
Sonie Rogers is pictured far left. In addition to twirling, she was a football cheerleader at Watervliet HIgh School.
Sandra “Sonie” Swaim (nee Rogers) of Watervliet, Michigan, emerged as one of the nation’s leading baton twirlers in the late 1940s. Beginning in 1946, she quickly built a competitive record that set her apart. Over a two-year period, Rogers entered 19 contests and earned 17 medals, including 14 first-place finishes, along with three trophies. Several of those events were national in scope, while others were statewide competitions. She never placed lower than second and consistently received first-division ratings, placing her among the top competitors in the country and earning recognition in Who’s Who in Baton Twirling.
Her rise culminated in 1953 when, at age 16, she was named Miss Majorette of America, one of the most prominent titles in the sport at the time. The selection reflected not only competitive success but also the presentation standards associated with majorette culture in the postwar era.
Rogers continued performing while twirling with the Watervliet High School and later the Western Michigan University marching bands. She also became active on the instructional side of the discipline, teaching clinics across the Midwest and serving as a judge at competitions. Among her students was Lynne Vincent, later Lynne Cheney, who would recall Rogers in her memoir Blue Skies, No Fences as a national champion and influential instructor.
While attending Western Michigan University, Rogers married Ensign Thomas Max Sloan of the U.S. Navy. The couple wed in New Mexico following a holiday twirling clinic conducted at the University of New Mexico. In March 1957, Sloan was killed in a naval training accident, a loss that interrupted but did not end Rogers’ involvement in twirling. She continued teaching at major clinics before returning to complete her degree in elementary education.
A member of the National Baton Twirling Teachers’ and Judges’ Association, Rogers trained numerous young twirlers, some of whom later became instructors themselves. By 1959, she had remarried and relocated to Indianapolis, where she accepted a position with the Indianapolis Public Schools while her husband pursued dental studies.
Later records indicate Swaim was living in Tulsa, Oklahoma as recent as 2020.
Sonie appeared in the following ad for Bemo Potato Chips.
This post first appeared on The Vintage Twirler on May 23, 2023.
