In June 1947, Jay developed an by Brian all-woman drum and bugle corps, with the first order of business being the corps’ Tolzmann preparation to compete at the 1947 American Legion Nationals in New York City. (Hormel Unlike the other drum had been a drum and bugle corps fan for and bugle corps featured in quite some time and the Hormel Company this book, the Hormel Girls had provided food to corps members at all the Drum & Bugle Corps from American Legion National parades dating Austin, MN, did not attain back to the 1937 convention.) their greatest fame with their This formidable task was handed to Dale on-field performances. This Schamber, who at the time was the unique unit, probably the luncheon meat product manager. He s s first truly professional drum managed the impossible, recruiting and and bugle corps, comprised of former WACS auditioning 74 women, representing some 35 l l (Women’s Army different Corps), WAVES states. r r (Women Accepted These

i for Volunteer former i Emergency Service), servicewomen SPARS (women’s with musical reserve of the U.S. talents and G G Coast Guard) and sales abilities

Marines, began as a began an publicity vehicle for arduous l l George A. Hormel & five-week Company, the famed training

e maker of Hormel session that e Chili, Dinty Moore included 11 Beef Stew and hours a day of SPAM. marching, World War II had bugling and m m been profitable for drumming the company, thanks rehearsals. r r mostly to the The Girls consumer demand received a for their canned rather rude o o meat product, welcome to SPAM, but like many the world of of the country’s drum and businesses, Hormel bugle corps H H needed to competition. re-establish its They made pre-war marketing efforts. In 1945, when company president Jay C. Hormel realized that it was largely SPAM keeping Hormel in the national limelight, he decided to organize a promotional musical ensemble called the Hormel Girls. The troupe was originally comprised of 20 former servicewomen, all (Top) (above) with musical ability. A recruiting post(epro fsotre trh aen Hd oprhmoetol Gcoirulsr;t esy of theth eH oHromreml eCl oGmirplsa mnya)r. ch in a Racine, WI, parade In groups of six, during the late 1940s these women traveled to fairs and benefits, front-page news around the country during spreading the musical word about Hormel their rehearsals for those 1947 nationals. The and its products, demonstrating both vocal corps was stationed for an entire month at and instrumental talents. the Eastern Military Academy at Shippan (Top to bottom) Point in Stamford, CT, as Jay Hormel had One of the white Chevrolets in the Hormel made arrangements to rent the academy’s corps’ fleet; an en(tphhuostioas tcico buartsess yd roufm thmee Hr;o mrmaercl hCinogm ipna an yN).ew York City parade facilities. 270 championship. attracted 20 California stations that were a Jay Hormel was part of the Mutual Pacific Coast Network. so proud of how From there, “Music With the Hormel well the Girls did, Girls,” which featured operettas and musical they all got comedies along with other music, went bonuses. nationwide Sundays from 6:30 to 7:00 PM on The drum the Mutual Broadcasting System. major of that Ratings for the radio program at this time 1947 corps was showed more than six million listeners tuned Donna Mae in each week. Baldenecker- An interesting note about the early Burr, who owns a Hormel Girls Orchestra: their director, Eddie place in the Skrivanek, was one of Hollywood’s busiest history books music men. He is probably best known for herself. In 1942, playing banjo on the musical score for the at the age of 22, 1936 film “Show Boat” and his guitar playing she became the on the score for the 1946 Academy first woman Award-nominated “Duel in the Sun.” bugler in the U.S. The ladies spent much of the summer military. preparing for the 1948 American Legion Baldenecker- Nationals in Miami. The Hormel Girls came Burr, who was to the field on October 21 as national educated at the celebrities and they didn’t disappoint the Minneapolis nearly 41,000 fans who jammed into the College of Music Orange Bowl. and was a private That crowd remains as one of the largest trumpet student ever to attend a drum and bugle corps of former Sousa contest. Band member The Hormel Girls grabbed ninth place at L.L. Whitbecker, finals with a score of 89.366 and earned the was asked by Jay fourth highest general effect score on the Hormel to join judge’s sheets, topping, in that caption, the corps as its such well-known all-male corps as the first drum Hawthorne Caballeros, the 1946 national (courtesy of the Hormel Company). major. champion Connecticut Yankees, Yankee A promotional poster for the group’s radio show and review, c. 1949 Baldenecker- Rebels and Boys of 76. Neighbors complained about the noise Burr remembers, “When I returned from The women were also quite proficient in and a lawyer was even hired in a plan to those 1947 nationals, Jay asked me to go on marching, as their seventh place would attest. take the academy to court. At the last the road with the Hormel Girls, but I told As good as the Hormel Girls were at finals minute a settlement was reached where him I was married.” that year, they were even better at prelims, they could do their marching on the grounds, Hormel said, “Bring him along; we’ll hire where they scored an impressive sixth place but had to move music rehearsals to a him at the same pay scale.” overall, out of 35 corps entered, including a nearby field. “I then told him I also had a baby,” she fifth in general effect (where they even Featured in their 1947 field repertoire remembers. defeated the overall first-place Jersey Joes) were such numbers as The Hormel Girls Hormel responded, “Bring the baby, too. and sixth in horns. This 1948 Legion Theme , Light Cavalry Overture , We’ll hire a nanny!” showing proved to be the greatest ever for Rouser , Tiger Rag , Cuddle Up a Little Closer , “The three of us stayed with the Girls any senior women’s corps. Pennsylvania Polka , Lullaby of Broadway until Christmas,” Baldenecker-Burr said. The winter/spring of 1949 found the group (which featured an amazing soprano solo) “The Hormel Girls was a wonderful experi - continuing their radio broadcasts and and Give My Regards to Broadway . ence. We were treated royally. I’d do it all touring, as well as preparing for the 1949 The Hormel Girls Theme , which was over again!” American Legion Nationals in Philadelphia. composed by famed theater organist Eddie Today, known as Donna Mae Smith, she That 1949 Legion show would be a bit Dunstedter, opened each performance that continues playing her trumpet at military disappointing for the women, as their the corps or orchestra ever did. Dunstedter functions around the country. Much of her 12th-place score of 88.983 (out of 22 corps) appeared on many of Bing Crosby’s hit story can be seen today at the Women’s War fell eight-tenths behind the 10th-place (and recordings of the 1930s and he did many of Memorial in Washington, D.C., where she is a last finalist position) Syracuse Brigadiers. the Hormel Girls’ arrangements. charter member. Once again, the Girls showed their all- The 1947 corps had an all-star The taste of success in 1947 drove Jay male counterparts some genuine caption instructional staff, which included Fred Hormel to organize 20 members of the drum strength in horns with their eighth-place Bachrodt of Chicago, Don McGee of Chicago, and bugle corps into a touring, singing and bugle score, beating the likes of the Clyde Stocking of Kentucky, Clarence Lake of selling team that traveled to Cleveland, Dallas Hawthorne Caballeros, Yankee Rebels, Geneva New York and William Esser of Ohio. Many and New Orleans, where the corps led five Appleknockers and Connecticut Yankees. staff members were judges in the Mardi Gras parades early in 1948. This 1949 contest would be the last for the All-American Association. Next, Hormel had prime-time radio in his Hormel Girls, who, much like the Star of The Hormel Girls (nicknamed the sights. He dispatched the troupe to Los Indiana organization 45 years later, decided SPAM-ettes) sponsored by SPAM Post No. Angeles for on-the-air training. Louise that their future was in touring as a 570, scored an 86.80 at the 1947 American Mulvany became the group’s choral director performance group, not as a competitor. Legion prelims and just missed making the and Eddie Skrivanek led the orchestra. The Hormel Girls traveled 30,000 miles finals by 0.35. But they did make their mark In March 1948, the show “Music With the per year, attending numerous food shows, in history as being the first all-woman senior Hormel Girls” aired over a single Los Angeles performing at hundreds of supermarkets and corps to compete against men at a national radio station. By late May, the show had concert venues across the country, as well as 271 doing their weekly Girls. She played drums radio program. with the Great Northern The group Railway Drum & Bugle Corps performed popular from St. Paul, MN. Great music of the day, Northern was one of more which meant big band than 50 corporate drum and dance charts and bugle corps in ballads, with a few Minneapolis/St. Paul in the marches thrown in late 1940s. from time to time. Throughout the early Each radio program 1950s, this sophisticated and lasted 30 minutes and complex promotional plan contained five Hormel traveled the country and commercials. At its broadcast the Hormel name peak, the program was nationwide. The caravan was on 227 stations an immensely successful, coast-to-coast. although expensive, When they weren’t undertaking. The traveling on the air, the Hormel fleet would have rivaled even Girls traveled with a today’s DCI corps. great deal of advance (photo courtesy of the Hormel Company). Along with the 35 cars, work orchestrated in The Girls performed at a New York City train station in 1947 during their Legion trip the Hormel Girls had five each city. Radio stations and newspapers Hormel Girls. Here is my picture. If you can equipment trucks, a portable radio studio, announced the Girls’ arrival while Hormel spot me at an area supermarket this weekend, music arrangers, stage managers, radio salespeople bought local radio and newspaper I will give you a free Hormel ham.” engineers and choreographers. The Girls also advertising. Because they rode in a caravan The Girls would also have their photo had six complete uniforms. of 35 brand-new white Chevrolets, there were printed in ads in local newspapers. Mabley Each of the Hormel Girls earned $55 per tie-ins with local car dealerships. continues, “One time a young boy came into week, plus $30 in expenses, hotel bills and Whenever possible, the governor of the the supermarket and handed me my picture, gasoline. The performers earned 10 days off, state being visited would greet the corps, at the same time asking for a free ham. I all expenses paid, every three months. The creating much excitement. Huge crowds explained that we had a policy stating that Girls performed on regular band/orchestra were guaranteed and many went away with only adults could get the free hams. The instruments and on occasion some even used an armload of purchased Hormel products. boy said that his mom was out in the car with bugles in concert. The personal touch was extremely his brothers and sisters and she couldn’t Two other Hormel Girls of note were important for the Hormel Girls. They often leave them alone, so she sent him in to claim Martha “Martye” Awkerman and Lois Cronen. went door-to-door in cities they visited. the prize. I smiled and gave him the ham. Awkerman, a trumpet player, played solo Laura McAndrews-Mabley, a bass He went outside with it tucked under his cornet with the Air Force Band and broke a drummer and the third Hormel Girl ever arm.” 40-year tradition to become the first female hired, remembered her spiel: “Good morn - McAndrews-Mabley was a drum corps member of the famed Long Beach Municipal ing! My name is Laura and I am one of the veteran even before her days with the Hormel Band, the oldest professional municipal band

(photo courtesy of the Hormel Company). The Hormel Girls marched in the 1947 American Legion Convention parade in New York City 272 includes segments than 80 former members who receive of the Hormel regularly published newsletters. Girls as part of a The Hormel Girls were indeed a historical marketing phenomenon, a national treasure compilation. to be sure. They hold a unique place in both The 1948 American and drum and bugle corps history. American Legion Special thanks go to the media relations Nationals finals department of the Hormel Company for performance by their cooperation in allowing full access to the Hormel Girls their photo archives, providing the photos was also captured used in this chapter, as well as granting on record. Drum permission to reprint a segment of their corps recording 100th anniversary book. I also want to pioneer George thank members Laura McAndrews-Mabley, Mader, who hailed Donna Mae Baldenecker-Smith, Marilyn from New Jersey, Ritter and Norraine Handke for their recorded the Girls invaluable help. at the Orange Bowl and sold copies of Brian Tolzmann marched the record, in the St. Paul Mounties and advertising in all then the Rivermen from the drum corps Stillwater, MN, and has been periodicals of the a fan of the drum and bugle day. Anyone corps activity for more than having this record 25 years. He is a research (courtesy of the today would be in archivist at the Minnesota AH osrammepl lCe oomf tphaen cya). rd that members passed out during their door-to-door campaigns History Center. Over the possession of a years he has collected in the country. collector’s item. statistics and information about the drum She was the only woman coach horn The Hormel SPAM Museum in Austin, corps movement and was a contributor to “A soloist in the United States. (A coach horn is MN, opened in late 2001 and has an exhibit History of Drum & Bugle Corps -- Volume 1.” the fanfare bugle played to signal the dedicated to the Hormel Girls. The museum For more than 20 years he has written a beginning of a horse race.) has drawn more than 100,000 visitors from regular column in Drum Corps World called Cronen, who was later on the music 50 countries and all 50 states. “The Amazing World of Drum Corps.” department staff at Cal State Northridge, The Hormel Girls held reunions in 1983 He lives in Forest Lake, MN, with his wife played trombone with the Hormel Girls. Her and 1991 and have a mailing list of more and two children. musical career is quite impressive, putting in stints with the orchestras of Frankie Carle and Alvino Rey, as well as Ina Ray Hutton’s All-Girl Orchestra. “Music with the Hormel Girls” also appeared, for a short time in the 1950s, as a 30- minute, nationally-syndicated TV program. Due to the national coverage of the Hormel Girls, Hormel’s sales force expanded and its sales more than doubled during this time span. The corps ceased operations after its February 1954 radio show, when television began taking over as the medium of choice for advertisers throughout the country. Today there are eight surviving 16-inch transcriptions of those Hormel Girls radio broadcasts that are heavily prized by historians. These recordings are each 30 minutes long and feature June Knight and the “60 Piece All-Girl Orchestra” as they were heard over CBS during the spring of 1953. Currently, one video distribution company also has a videotape for sale titled “Roadshow Shorts,” which (photo courtesy of the Hormel Company). The Hormel Girls in a late-1940s parade in Racine, WI 273