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PARKETTES
By Bob Reiss From the Re-Echo

DECEMBER 2004

 

Hundreds of St. Louis Park girls were Parkettes from the 1950s to the 1980s, yet there is nothing in the Society's collection that tells this fantastic story.  Jennifer Davis Newell and Barbara Davis Reiss think this should be corrected.  They need pictures, souvenirs, memorabilia, membership lists, and stories of incidents, good, bad, funny, or not funny.  We also want this to include the Fan Club.  What trips did you go on?  How has having been a Parkette changed your life?

Barbara says, "Come on, girls, there are a lot of us.  Let's make it a big exhibit."

SUMMER 2005

A 50-year reunion of the St. Louis Park Parkettes is scheduled for April 22, 2006 at the Downtown Marriott Center in Minneapolis.  With the encouragement of the St. Louis Park Historical Society, the reunion is being planned by a group of former Parkette members.  This committee is trying to contact all former Parkettes, parents, and Parkette Fan Club members. 

The Parkettes were a dance organization that began in 1956 with St. Louis Park High School girls.  They were the cheerleaders/dancers for the Minneapolis Lakers basketball team until the team moved to Los Angeles in 1960.  From 1963 to 1983 they were the cheerleaders for the Minnesota Vikings.

The Parkettes consisted of up to 40 girls each year between the ages of 15 and 17.  Each year, trials were held to replace the older girls.

The Parkettes were an independent organization, separate from the high school.  The practiced in and around the school, and in smaller groups they performed as the high school cheerleaders.

The Parkette organization was paid by the Vikings for its cheerleading services, but the young women received no payment.  Each year the money financed a trip for the Parkettes somewhere in the world.  There were several trips to Hawaii, and other places including Greece, Italy, Spain, Venezuela, Mexico, the Bahamas and Panama.  In many cases they performed for foreign audiences.  They were accompanied by parents and members of the Parkette Fan Club.  To supplement the payment from the Vikings, parents sold programs at the games.

The Parkette program was a unique program.  At the time it was begun there were few opportunities for high school girls to participate in activities.  This program provided them with the opportunity to develop self confidence, discipline, and the ability to present themselves well.

WINTER 2005

In the spring of 1956, someone decided that a dance line would be a wonderful addition to the St. Louis Park spirit.   They approached Mrs. Fran Libby with the idea of being the group's choreographer.  Her enthusiasm moved the idea forward, and for the next 12 years, she was the dance line leader.  All of the girls were from St. Louis Park High School.

For the first years they danced at Park High basketball games and then at the District and Regional games in William Arena.  They went on to perform in the Aquatennial, St. Paul Winter Carnival, and many other occasions.

In 1958, they did double duty as the Lakerettes and performed at the Lake basketball games in the Minneapolis Armory.  They became well known and were invited to perform nationally on television, at conventions, at the Rose Bowl, and many other events.  In 1964 they were invited to act as the cheerleaders at the Viking football games.  This continued through 1983 when the Viking Manager, Mike Lynn, decided that he wanted more mature cheerleaders a la the Dallas Cowgirls.

The purpose of the article in the last Re-Echo was to get information on the Parkettes for the Historical Society.  The response was great, and they all included a desire for a reunion.  Since 2006-2007 will be the 50th anniversary, why not?  To get started, we need your help.  We need to compile a list of members and fan club members.  Originally all members had to be 15 to 17 years old and many have since changed their names and moved out of the area.  We need current information on you and any of the dance mates with whom you may have kept in contact.  For now we need current names and addresses, the name you danced under, and the years you danced.

FALL 2005

From 1965 until 1983, the Parkettes were cheerleaders for the Vikings. The 1965 Echowan contained the following commentary about the Parkettes:  "At seventeen you girls can't ever bend your knees," harped Mrs. Fran Libby, Parkette advisor. With this constant prodding plus strenuous practices, Parkettes achieved near-perfection.
 

They were asked by the Minnesota State Department of Corrections to be part of a group who entertained at the St. Cloud Reformatory. Touring the cell blocks and seeing the gratitude on the inmates' faces distressed but deeply gratified them.
 

What they experienced at St. Cloud was different from the joy they felt dancing at the St. Paul Winter Carnival and the excitement tasted whenever they gave a televised performance at a Lakers NBA game. Not quite as exciting as television was dancing at a Vikings football game in freezing temperatures wearing only skirts and sweaters. But gold megaphone charms given the girls who dance at every game more than compensated for the cold toes and frostbitten hands.


DECEMBER 2005
 

The St. Louis Park Parkette Organization began in 1956. Although the organization no longer exists, a 50 year reunion is being planned. It is scheduled for April 22, 2006 at the Downtown Minneapolis City Center. The reunion will also include parents and Fan Club members. For more information, go to www.parkette.org.
 

The highlight of the year for the girls who danced for the Parkettes was the trips they took during spring breaks. The destinations were varied and included Greece, Italy, Venezuela, the Bahamas, Panama, and Hawaii several times. They often performed for foreign audiences on these trips.
 

The trips were paid for by the earnings of the Parkettes and the Fan Club. The Vikings and Lakers paid the Parkette organization for their appearance and performance at the games. The Parkette parents sold programs at the Viking games for concession commissions. The girls contributed money from individual jobs such as babysitting.
 

Being selected as a member of the Parkettes was a commitment that required hard work. There were two practices a week and the appearance at every Viking home game. Under the excellent leadership of Fran Libby and then Toni Swiggum, the group developed an excellent reputation for precision dancing and were often invited for other performances, such as the Aquatennial, Stillwater State Prison, and the Fergus Falls State Hospital.
 

During its existence, many hundreds of girls were in the program. Most of these girls have moved and changed their names. The reunion committee is trying to locate as many as possible, but needs help. If you know of someone who was a Parkette, or a parent of a former Parkete, they are asked to contact Jennifer Davis Newell.


SUMMER 2006
 

The Parkettes 50th Reunion, sponsored by the St. Louis Park Historical Society, was held at the Mariott City Center on April 22, 2006. Over 350 Parkettes, parents, and Fan Club members attended. They came from all over the United States to celebrate the memories and friendships of their dancing year.
 

Mary Ann Evans Eckenberg and Sara Lenmark Halverson were at the reunion to explain how they, with Diane Berger Lark, approached Mrs. Fran Libby to form the group and to be the group's choreographer. The idea appealed to Mrs. Libby and she obtained permission for this new school function.
 

Ms. Libby was honored for her disciplined coaching and leadership. Toni Swiggum took over after Fran's death and was at the reunion to accept thanks from the "girls" for the great job she did.
 

Mark Rosen was the Master of Ceremonies for the event, and his selection was an excellent choice. As a graduate of St. Louis Park High and a sports reporter for the Vikings, he provided the background and the school spirit. Although it has been over ten years since the Parkettes last performed, a group of former Parkettes danced to "One Step at a Time" for the reunion.

The evening was full of smaller groups extemporaneously demonstrating that they remembered the teamwork and the steps. The formal program ended with a style show of Parkettes costumes.


As part of the reunion, the Parkettes were asked to recall their memories and the effect being a Parkette had on their lives. Just about everyone called the experience "the highlight of my life." The discipline and friendships were mentioned many times. They knew the tough discipline of practices made them very good dancers, and they were proud of being good. They learned to give 110% and to smile and keep dancing!


They remembered the practices, the points-off for slipups, and the support they got from their fellow dancers during on-stage mistakes. They all remembered the night the Parkettes arrived at their homes to tell them they were new Parkettes. They also remembered the white GoGo boots.....without love.


It was a gala affair and one to be remembered!





 

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.