Male Baton Twirlers
“Looking back, male twirlers had dominated early twirling contests largely for several reasons. Competitive twirling was an outgrowth of military drum major contests; batons were heavy, thick and long; and few contests offered a classification for girls…After…1935…more girls pursued twirling…Male dominated contests became a thing of the past.
From History of Twirling: Answering The Call, by Don Sartell, Founder, National Baton Twirling Association
Photo Credit (Above): Drum Major (Name Unknown) McMurry University, Abilene, Texas, circa 1940
Posts Featuring Male Twirlers
Please help us add to the history of male baton twirlers by sending in your stories and pictures.
Rare 1930s Scrapbook Featuring Popular Male Baton Spinners, Drum Majors
Text from Business Card Featuring the FIRE Baton...Roland J. FosterFancy Baton Twirling Drum MajorSt. Petersburg, Fla.Performed at Worlds Fair, Chicago,1933 Part Drum Major of University of S.C. Band.Bottom Far Left To Maynard Verier (?)Jack Carroll -- WashingtonTop...
Roger Kurucz, 1957
(1939-2014) Roger Kurucz, 1957 Roger Kurucz was a national champion twirler and drum major for Northwestern University Marching Band, Evanstan Illinois (1957-1961). He twirled with his younger sister, Barbara. Picture Cutline: Roger Kurucz, Drum Major and Baton...
I.M. Terrell H.S., 1948
I.M. Terrell H.S. Drum Major Joseph Wells and Majorette Carelen Phillips, Fort Worth, 1948. Photo by Calvin Littlejohn I.M. Terrell H.S. Drum Major Joseph Wells and Majorette Carelen Phillips, Fort Worth, 1948. Photo by Calvin Littlejohn
Thank you!
Slider Photo Citation: Drum Major, photograph, Date Unknown; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth52825/: accessed March 23, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hardin-Simmons University Library.
Oral Histories
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information using sound recordings of interviews with people having personal knowledge of past events. If you would like to share your personal oral history of baton twirling, please let us know. We are available to conduct interviews every Friday. Interviews will be available on this website. Once a substantial number of interviews have been conducted, they will be presented in podcast format. Nothing will be published without the interviewee’s written consent. Thank you for helping preserve the history of baton twirling.
Vintage Ephemera
Baton twirling ephemera refers to things like programs, posters, patches, stickers, magazines, newsletters, and other things typically written or printed that were used for a specific period of time.
Majorette Memories
We welcome high-quality scans of your vintage baton twirling ephemera. You can also receive items through the mail. We’ll digitally preserve your memories in high-quality scans. Thank you so much for supporting this project.
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Rare Merchandise
Once or twice a year we will offer a commemorative item or rare keepsake for sale such as a sticker, patch, pin or T-shirt, etc. All proceeds will help offset the cost of this project, which includes the cost to acquire rare and/or copyrighted materials.
We will offer our first piece of merchandise on World Baton Twirling Day, April 10, which is also the the official launch day for The Vintage Twirler. Please sign up for updates below so you don’t miss our annoucement. Thank you so much for your interest in this project.