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Cotton Bowl 1960 Texas vs Syracuse: Band Highlights Video Special thanks to Syracuse University Archives and AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic
'Left Behind' Memories
Ben Hur trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SOT0ofuscU Carolyn Plumlee begins: Remember the band trip to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas in 1960?
Combined memories: We went to the epic movie 'Ben Hur'. I wept so much that I could hardly breathe and was still recovering as we waited in line for the restroom. There were five or six of us – sophomores (Carolyn Plumlee, Carolyn Moore, Carol Cochran, Deanna Flanders) and freshmen (Karen Birch and Sandra McKenna) -- and we missed the bus back to the motel*. Forced to hike across downtown Dallas on New Year's Eve, we endured lots of drunks and lots of catcalls, given our native allure. We ended up at the Dallas police station. I remember it was one of the greatest fears/thrills of my young life. They brought a female in and the police told us she was Candy Barr, the stripper. I do remember an endowed woman who asked if the policeman wanted to accompany her to pee (I cleaned up a bit what she actually said). We were in total fear of punishment which amazingly didn't happen. Stupid us----if our parents had known they left without us, they [school administration] would have been in deep trouble. Oh, we had such great experiences in our youth!
Carol Cochran remembers: My dad and mother were there as chaperones, and Daddy gave JIK a very hard time. He [my dad] was furious to discover that his daughter never made the bus and was still in downtown Dallas. But I don't recall any penalty or criticism from the school board. It was a pretty remarkable decision by Mr. Kimmins. Turned out to be an adventure. Also I have not forgotten nor forgiven those (and you know who you are!) who went back to the motel room and ate my piece of cherry pie, evidently considering me a goner. You were all in high spirits when we dragged in.
Deanna Flanders remembers: I remember how proud I felt being part of the drum corps especially since we were selected to play the cadence for all the bands on the field at the half time show. And I will have to admit that my parents were also a little surprised that there was never anything said to apologize for leaving the group of young teen girls on the streets of downtown Dallas on New Years Eve. As far as I know that was my only face to face experience with a stripper!
Carolyn Moore remembers: We must be honest; all of us primped. I do remember feeling a little panicky that we had missed Mr. Kimmins' timeline, probably more than a little. But, the excitement outweighed the panic. Seeing Candy Barr was the apex of adventure that night; first we had met the heavily-madeup [Kilgore] Rangerettes [at rehearsal earlier in the day in the bathroom at the Cotton Bowl. One of them exclaimed that she hadn't changed her mascara in three days--just kept adding more], real women, and then one of the most famous strippers ever. I'm not sure that she was that famous at the time [webmaster note: she was at the height of her notoriety then as she fought being incarcerated on a marijuana charge]. And, o.k. we didn't really meet her. But we eavesdropped on her episode in the police station, so it's almost the same thing, right? What a night! The first of many exciting forays for most of us as our lives progressed.
Karen Birch remembers: I remember that it was late when we got out of the movie theater. We got separated from the group partly because the crowd was so big leaving the movie. Someone asked how to get to the nearest police station and we walked there with no fear, except for what Mr. Robbins would say to us. The drunks coming in were real eye openers to me, especially since alcohol was not allowed in my home.
Sandy McKenna remembers: As I remember this story (and believe me it
ranks as one of my best stories--have told it to anyone who would stay still
long enough), the visit to the bathroom after that heart-wrenching movie
wasn't to "primp" (although those sophomores were more experienced in looking
good than we two lowly freshmen were), it was to blow noses and dry wet eyes.
So, dry eyes turned to "wide eyes" when we couldn't find the bus out front!
Can't remember how long we stood on that sidewalk, but while there I do
remember lots of cars driving close to the curb with guys hollering at us. Not
all of them were hollering "Happy New Year", either! I believe we found a
policeman on that block who gave us directions to the police station, which
was, I think in the basement of City Hall. I do remember raids being brought
in, but the Candy Barr reference was new to me. (Remember--naive freshman)
And, speaking of Miss Barr, I visited Joe one time in New Orleans when he was
flying helicopters out of there for the Coast Guard, and we "did" the town!!
At one point we saw a sign that Candy was appearing in one of the joints, but
we didn't go in (remember, Joe was only a few years out of the seminary at
that time and he wouldn't have taken his sister to that kind of show) Getting
back to the police station, I really do believe that that was where Jack Ruby
shot Lee Harvey Oswald a few years later, so, if our stay there didn't make it
a landmark, then that certainly did!
Webmaster remembers: The PHS band did not march in the 1960 Cotton Bowl Parade. It was raining and Mr. Robbins didn't want our wool band uniforms ruined. We marched at half-time during the 1960 Cotton Bowl and we got 'green goo' all over our shoes and uniform pants from the dyed grass. The PHS drum corps provided the cadences for movements by all the bands. We formed the outline of a movie camera through which the other bands marched. There was a voice-over explaining the 'films'. In this photo the PHS marching band forms the double tee's in Cotton Bowl.
Photo courtesy of Carol Cochran '62
* Martha Kirkpatrick: A few years later it was revealed that
Candy Barr was a "special friend" of Jack Ruby, who shot Lee Harvey Oswald. I
wonder if they trysted at the Tower Motel? But that motel did have room service.
One evening we were so cold and wet that we ordered dinner in. The waitress who
delivered it showed me how to twist spaghetti against a spoon, the first time
I'd had real pasta that didn't come out of a Franco-American can.
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