Kilgore Rangerettes

In 1939, Kilgore College Dean, Dr. B.E. Masters, decided that the college needed an organization that would attract young women to the college and keep people in their seats during football game halftimes. His goal of equalizing the male/female student ratio had a secondary benefit – the folks would stay in the stands during halftime instead of sipping improper beverages under them.
Dr. Masters brought Miss Gussie Nell Davis to Kilgore College to create something special. Her creation and gift to the world were the Kilgore College Rangerettes! The first group of its kind in the world, the Rangerettes brought “show business” to the football gridiron. Miss Davis’ team took to the field during the 1940 football season, pioneering the field of dancing drill teams now seen across the nation.

The Rangerettes have appeared in major football bowl games across the nation and have performed at the New Year’s Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas each year since 1951. They provided the halftime entertainment for three East-West Shrine Bowl games in Palo Alto, California in the 1980s, the only organization to ever be invited for return engagements in the history of this all-star game.
Cover girls on hundreds of publications including Life, Newsweek, Esquire, Texas Monthly, and Texas 24/7, the Rangerettes have also been the subject of articles in many major American magazines and newspapers. They were featured in the Cinerama movie, “Seven Wonders of the World,” and have appeared on many major national television programs.