Being a majorette at Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in the 70’s was about more than twirling a baton or executing a precise dance routine. While all that took training and preparation, simultaneously majorettes were developing strong leadership abilities, discipline, interpersonal skills and strategic thinking.
“At Roosevelt and under the leadership of Band Director Thomas A. Ross, Majorettes weren’t just pretty faces executing complicated routines. Majorettes were musicians…first. We played in the Marching Band, Concert Band and Jazz Band. We learned to read music, in my case, Mr. Ross recruited me to play bass guitar in the Jazz Band and the upright Bass in the Concert Band, instruments I had no familiarity with. But, with the help of past Band members like Donald Patterson, Charles Martin and Llewellyn Blackburn, I learned how to play the bass guitar, in addition to the clarinet.
Being a majorette helped to prepare me and fellow majorettes to become productive citizens with multiple skill sets, making valuable contributions to our communities, state and the world.”
Tanya R. DeVaughn, Majorette, Bass Guitar, Clarinet, ’76
A Tribute to the Alumni Majorettes
FDR Mustang Band Majorette
Sandra Dickerson
FDR Mustang Band Majorette
Velina Heslip
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Feature Twirlers!
Jacquelonne Cole
Sherri Brown
Sherri Brown
“Being a Majorette at Franklin D. Roosevelt High School prepared me for many things. Being a Majorette taught me how to work together as a team with people from all walks of life. Being a Majorette taught me how to be strong and endure the many challenges in life and how to be open-minded to the many diverse opinions and thoughts of others. Being a Majorette I gain many friends and learn to be a friend to others. Because of the many lessons and positive experiences that I have obtained as a Majorette for the Franklin D. Roosevelt High School I will be forever grateful and proud to have been a student of the Franklin D. Roosevelt High School Class of ’76 and a representative of the Franklin D. Franklin High School Mighty Marching Mustang Band.“
Joyce Mathis, Majorette, ’76