Phyllis Jean Vanderkerckhove (1943-2021) and Ron Popp (1941-2019) twirled together in Rock Island, Illinois in the 1950s. Records of Popp’s involvement in twirling cannot be documented beyond 1951, however, Vanderkerckhove went on to appear in Who’s Who in Baton Twirling in 1961. ...
In 1961, the U.S. Patent Office issued a patent for one of the more unusual inventions in baton twirling history: a heated baton. The invention, patented by Carter M. Hanna of Burbank, Ohio, was designed to help majorettes maintain finger dexterity during outdoor performances in cold weather. The...
