People often say you can’t know your future without knowing your past. And the same can be said for the future of an academic institution continuing to shape future generations. But, as students, faculty, staff and alumni of the University of Toledo, how well do we know its history? This series, entitled #RocketBlastFromThePast, was started by Juice House as a social media series to discover our shared legacy as Toledo Rockets by diving into the digital archives of the Canaday Center and sharing interesting tidbits and fun facts of UToledo’s rich history that encourages a sense of pride in our institution. Now brought to you as a collection, it’s more than a trip down memory lane; it’s an exploration and transportation from the past to the present, with a vision and inspiration guiding us into a bright future and beyond.
Did you know UToledo’s Dancing Rockettes took an international trip back in the day? In this week’s #rocketblastfromthepast 🚀 are pictures from their eight week long, all-expense paid tour around Europe in 1965.
Images 1, 2 and 3 courtesy of the University of Toledo Digital Repository.
Then known as the Dancing Rock-ets, they were recognized in 1961 as the first collegiate dance team in the nation. Eleven members were selected by the Department of the Army to do ninety-minute shows of songs and dances for U.S. servicemen across Germany, France and Italy at armed forces installations. It was part of the Army’s overseas entertainment program, and the Rock-ets performed for hundreds at several sites. They left Toledo in June, pictured first, and returned in August, pictured last.
This series is continuing to grow! To stay up to date with new posts in this social media series, follow Juice House at @juicehousetoledo.