Archives West Finding Aid
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Montana State College Swim Team, "Dolphins," scrapbooks and films, 1950-1969
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Physical Education Department
- Title
- Montana State College Swim Team, "Dolphins," scrapbooks and films
- Dates
- 1950-1969 (inclusive)19501969
- Quantity
- 0.4 linear feet
- Collection Number
- 2586
- Summary
- This collection contains scrapbooks and films documenting performances and members of the Montana State College (MSC)/Montana State University (MSU) intramural synchronized swimming team, the Dolphins. Scrapbooks include photographs of swimmers and performances as well as newspaper clippings about the club. Films feature recordings of the last three Dolphins shows, 1967-1969.
- Repository
-
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
- Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open for research.
Films in this collection are currently inaccessable due to format. Films cannot be accessed until digital copies are available.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Dolphins were the synchronized swimming team at Montana State College (MSC)/Montana State University (MSU) from 1948 to 1969. The Dolphins hosted an annual performance in the Romney Gymnasium, which was a popular event on campus during those years.
The Dolphins were formed at a time when women's athletic opportunities on campus were limited. The Dolphins were a club within the Women's Athletic Association (WAA). The WAA was formed as early as 1924 and organized women's intramural athletic activities. It was open to women on campus for an annual fee and provided opportunities to participate in a variety of intramural sports including bowling, archery, ping pong, shooting, skiing, volleyball, swimming, and softball. As the association grew, it coordinated "play days" with WAA chapters at colleges across Montana for annual intercollegiate women's athletic competitions. The WAA's intramural league on campus formed teams made up of sorority members and independent women's groups who competed annually for the Hamilton trophy.
Dorothy Kennemer, a professor in the Athletics and Physical Education department, served as the director of the Dolphins for the entire history of the club. Although the Dolphins were a club within the WAA, they did not engage in campus competition. Instead, the Dolphins practiced each year in anticipation for their annual performance. When the club first formed it held its annual show at the end of the winter quarter, but eventually moved the show to the end of spring semester. Program themes, choreography, and costumes were all designed and created by Kennemer and the women on the team. Swimmers on the Dolphins were almost exclusively women; however, the club welcomed men onto the team in 1968 and 1969.
At the height of its popularity tryouts to join the Dolphins were highly competitive, and the annual performance drew hundreds of spectators. Performances were held at the Romney swimming pool, which had a capacity for an audience of five hundred people, and by the early 1960s attendance often exceeded capacity. In 1965, the club sent invitations to select MSU faculty and staff to allow them to attend dress rehearsals and to offer more opportunities to enjoy the show under less crowded conditions.
The Dolphins held their last performance in 1969, because they failed to receive enough funds and interest in subsequent years. MSU had begun offering women's varsity athletics in volleyball and basketball in 1966, and gymnastics soon thereafter. In 1968, the athletic department also opened track and field to women. As women athletes found more opportunities on campus, participation in the Dolphins waned.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection contains scrapbooks and films documenting performances and members of Montana State University's intramural synchronized swimming team, the Dolphins. Two scrapbooks in the collection feature programs and photographs from the Dolphins' annual performances. Photos include posed team photos, performances, and candid photos of team members during practice. Themes for the shows included topics related to popular culture and current events like fairy tales, culture and travel, space exploration, Montana and campus life, the circus, and changing seasons. The scrapbooks document Dolphins teams dating from 1950 to 1969 and include photos and rosters of each year's team. One scrapbook consists of newspaper clippings of press coverage of the Dolphins from 1950-1969. Most clippings come from the Exponent and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, while others come from newspapers throughout the state of Montana.
Films in the collection document the last three Dolphins performances in 1967, 1968, and 1969. The titles of these performances are, "A Dolphin's Fantasy," 1967; "Sweethearts in Paradise," 1968; and "Dance Time," 1969. The 1968 "Sweethearts in Paradise" film is the only recording that contains sound.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[Creator Name], [Date of Creation], [Brief Description of Object], Folder [#], Box [#], [Collection Name], [Collection #], Montana State University (MSU) Library, Bozeman, MT
Restrictions on Use
This collection is in the public domain.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Volume | ||
1 | 1 | Clippings Scrapbook | 1950-1969 |
1 | 2 | Performances Scrapbook | 1950-1960 |
1 | 3 | Performances Scrapbook | 1961-1969 |
16mm-film-reel | |||
1 | "A Dolphins Fantasy" | 1967 March 11-12 | |
2 | "Sweet Hearts in Paradise" | 1968 | |
3 | "Dance Time" | 1969 March 6-7 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Higher education and state--Montana