©2010 Jennifer Elizabeth Guiliano an AMERICAN SPECTACLE: COLLEGE MASCOTS and the PERFORMANCE of TRADITION
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©2010 Jennifer Elizabeth Guiliano AN AMERICAN SPECTACLE: COLLEGE MASCOTS AND THE PERFORMANCE OF TRADITION BY JENNIFER ELIZABETH GUILIANO DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009 Urbana, Illinois Doctoral Committee: Professor Adrian Burgos, Chair Professor Frederick E. Hoxie Professor David R. Roediger Visiting Assistant Professor Michael Giardina ABSTRACT “An American Spectacle: College Mascots and the Performance of Tradition” seeks to understand how college football and its attendant events (termed here “An American Spectacle”) became a vehicle for cultural production by individuals and institutions in specifically raced, gendered, and classed ways. It asks what was the role of this “American Spectacle” in the articulation of individual and group identities at sites across the United States and outlines the individual aspects of the spectacle: bands and musical performances, newspaper writers and narratives of athletics, artistic production and commercial athletic identity, student publications and University identity, and the rituals of performance. In each instance the fundamental exploration is guided by consideration of how individuals and institutions constituted, transformed, and transmitted ideas of Indian mascotry within the spectacle of college football. This dissertation then asks these central questions: How and why were Native Americans represented as sports mascots? What cultural work did these images perform? How did these written narratives, visual images, and live performances create a tradition of performance that branded college football as “an American spectacle?” In answering these questions, “An American Spectacle” vividly illustrates a uniquely American story of race, class, identity, and community that argues for the framing of a complex set of institutions that are uniquely shaped by industrialism, commercialism, capital acquisition and expression, mass democracy, and the nation-state. An innately political practice that, while recognizing multiple identities, privileged young, male, white, middle-class, and athletic as powerful and transmitted those ideas via various networks, this dissertation ultimately reveals a uniquely American spectacle. ii In honor of my mother, Jan, who gave me her love of “old dead people” and my father, John, who puts up with listening to us talk about them. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As a decade-long project that began with a senior thesis, became a master’s thesis, and culminated in “An American Spectacle: College Mascots and the Performance of Tradition”, there are a plethora of individuals, institutions, and organizations that I am indebted to. As a student of history and a scholar working at the intersection of history, critical sport studies, and race, I am deeply thankful for the mentoring and engagement offered by co-advisors, committee members, and faculty. Passionate about the field and about my work, Adrian Burgos was a champion advisor, mentor, teacher, and friend that I am convinced made me a better scholar. Dave Roediger’s incredible breadth of knowledge and enthusiastic support for this project greatly shaped both this dissertation and my experience in writing it. Committee members Frederick Hoxie and Michael Giardina invested their intellectual and emotional energies in guiding my scholarship. I am particularly indebted to Michael for his continual urging to consider and reconsider innovative theoretical and methodological approaches to this work and for his suggestion of the final title. I owe a large measure of thanks to scholars, who directly and indirectly shaped this project: Daniel A. Nathan, Marguerite S. Shafer, Allan M. Winkler, Andrew R.L. Cayton, Kristin Hoganson, C.L. Cole, O. Vernon Burton, Jean Allman, Antoinette Burton, Susan Sleeper-Smith, Brenda Farnell, Carol Spindel, Norm Denzin, Philip J. Deloria, and Eric Lott. Additionally, I am delighted to offer thanks to my graduate colleagues at the University of Illinois. A truly brilliant group of academics, they provided valuable insights in coursework, through informal discussions, and in formal reviews of papers and proposals. Of particular note for their intellectual and personal support are Alexandra “Sasha” Mobley, Amanda Brian, Anita Bravo, iv April Lindsey, Karlos Hill, Melissa Rohde, Michelle Kleehammer, and Sandra Henderson. Close friend and cutting-edge scholar, Karen Rodriguez’G was influential sounding board in considerations of spatial, postcolonial, and performative theories as well as the practice of doing history. This project benefited from extensive assistance from individuals, archivists, and departments provided access to their collections. At the University of Illinois, I must extend special thanks to Mary Stuart of the History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library, the University Archives, the Sousa Archives and the Center for American Music. Staff at the Florida State University Special Collections and University Archives, the Miami University Archives, the Stanford University Native American Cultural Center, the Stanford University Special Collections and University Archives, and University of North Dakota Department of American Indian Studies, and the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections at the University of North Dakota ably assisted and greatly enriched my efforts. A number of university departments supported my research by providing funding, leave to complete my work, or unique collaborative opportunities. They include: the Department of History at Miami University, the Miami University Archives, the Departments of History and American Indian Studies at the University of Illinois, the Committee on Institutional Cooperations’ American Indian Studies Consortium, and the Institute for Computing in Humanities, Arts, and Social Science (I- CHASS). O. Vernon Burton, Kevin Franklin, and the staff of I-CHASS were particular supportive of this project by providing a flexible work schedule, travel funding, and a supportive environment. Various incarnations and portions of material throughout this dissertation were presented at conferences and invited presentations including, but not limited to: the North American v Society for Sport History Annual Conference (May 2002), Capitalizing on Sport: America, Democracy, and Everyday Life. Conference sponsored by the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign and the Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society (March 14, 2003), the Association for Cultural Studies Annual Conferences (2004, 2007), and the Committee on Institutional Cooperation/American Indian Studies Consortium’s Annual Graduate Conference sponsored by the University of Indiana (April 21, 2006.) I offer thanks to the attendees of these events for their comments and criticism with particular appreciation for C. Richard King, whose interest in my work and willingness to provide opportunities for young scholars, has lending to several forthcoming publications based on chapters one and two. For all the intellectual and emotional support of my work by my academic colleagues, this work would not have been completed with the incredible support of my extended family. My parents, to whom this work is dedicated, provided emotional and financial support. My sister, Teri Downing, and brothers, Jay and Sean Guiliano, continually reminded me to take time to smell the roses by sharing their lives and families with me. They made sure that I felt part of it all even when I had my head buried in books. Significantly, they have shared with me four and a half of the funniest, cutest, and cleverest children known to man. Cullen and Chloe Downing, and Isabella and Jonathon Guiliano have made me laugh, cry, and smile throughout the long and sometimes rocky road, to completing this dissertation. I am sure baby Guiliano, due in February 2010, will do the same as I begin to revise this work. Lori and Wes Shipley opened their home during a particularly difficult research trip while their children, Dillon and Regan, provided a welcome opportunity to laugh. Marsha and Rick West have been my saviors throughout my tenure in Champaign. From lunches filled with laughter to dinner debates about academic tenure and the Illinois mascot, my aunt and uncle have always made sure I am fed, housed, and loved. vi One final individual deserves special mention. Debi Back has served as best friend, therapist, colleague, voice-of-reason, and partner-in-crime throughout the past ten years. I can only hope that she understands how much I appreciate her love and support. All errors within this work are, of course, my own and should not reflect on those acknowledged here. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………….......1 CHAPTER 1: “LEUTWILER’S INDIAN”: CREATING “INDIAN” TRADITION…………...19 CHAPTER 2: AND THE BAND PLAYED NARRATIVES OF PROGRESS…………………50 CHAPTER 3: RED BODIES AND LITERARY REPRESENTATIONS……………………....85 CHAPTER 4: A STANFORD INDIAN AND EXPOSITIONS OF RACE……………...........106 CHAPTER 5: “FIGHTING SIOUX” IN THE “LAND OF THE DACOTAHS”………...........134 CHAPTER 6: “SEMINOLES” AND SOUTHERN REGIONAL IDENTITY…………….......167 CHAPTER 7: CONTESTATIONS AND “INDIAN” BODIES……………………………….202 CONCLUSION: “WHITE” MEN AND “RED” MEN PLAYING INDIAN………………….223 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………………234 viii INTRODUCTION The 38th Annual Rose Bowl game on January 1, 1952 dawned on a cool day in southern California. Three days of Pacific storms