More than fifty years ago, during the 1939-1940 school year, Miss Davis created the first dance/drill team in the world, the Kilgore College Rangerettes, in the tiny oil town of Kilgore in East Texas.
Created to keep football fans in their seats at half-time, the first line consisted of 48 girls and five officers. They wore a uniform only slightly different from the trademark red, white, and blue still worn today. And, of course, there were white hats, gauntlets, and boots.
Although the original performances were not packed with double axles, fouettes, and switch leaps, the perfection and uniformity have always been there.
"The girls were just as polished the first time that they appeared on the field as later," said Margaret Masters Griffen, daughter of Dr. B.E. Masters, the first dean of Kilgore College. It was his idea that sparked the chain of events leading to the birth of the Rangerettes. "They moved in unison and the precision was there. They didn't do a lot in the beginning, but they did it together."
The Rangerettes quickly became a sensation, known foremost for their high kick routines.
"It was different from today," said Miss Davis in 1990. "There was no competition. We could just put on a performance, represent the college well, and have fun."
With the help of supporters like Charles K. Devall, a former publisher of the Kilgore News Herald , news of the Rangerettes' phenomena spread quickly.
"As high school drill teams became more prevalent, the kicks had to get higher, and the pressure was on to be better."
"We worked," said Davis. "It was no game."
The work seems to have paid off. Ask anyone who has heard of the Rangerettes and they will tell you they are not only better than high school drill teams, they are the BEST!
Miss Davis not only stressed dance technique, but discipline as well. A Rangerette is first and foremost a lady. In fact, "Forever A Lady" was the theme of this year's Rangerette Revels, their annual spring production. Manners, personality, enthusiasm, and pride are all mandatory qualities for each Rangerette. It is no wonder why they are known as the "Sweethearts of the Nation's Gridiron."
Miss Davis retired in 1979, passing her title to Mrs. Deana Boltin Covin. In 1993, Mrs. Dana Blair, who had served as an assistant director and choreographer for seven years, because the team's third director. She is presently assisted by Mrs. Shelley Wayne.
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