In October 1938 Al Capp’s “Dog Patch” comic strip character Sadie Hawkins (the ugliest woman in Dog Patch, whose influential father set aside a day for a foot race when the town’s unmarried women could chase eligible bachelors and got to keep ones they caught) inspired a week of events. UT claimed to have originated the idea of a collegiate Sadie Hawkins celebration, and Al Capp himself (as well as Dean of Women Harriet Greve) endorsed the activities. More than five hundred tickets were sold to the dance at the Alumni Memorial Building, and faculty and townspeople purchased tickets to watch from the balconies. In 1939 Al Capp attended a scaled-back, two-day Friday footrace and Saturday dance. In October 1940 United Features Syndicate issued a press release in response to claims of various universities where Sadie Hawkins activities had originated on their campuses. The release firmly established UT as the originator of campus Sadie Hawkins activities. The activity ceased following the 1941 “backward dance.”
Recent News
More News- Middle School and High School Students Will Display Their Data Artistry
- Henry Luce Foundation Grant to Fund Programs Highlighting Beauford Delaney Papers
- Writing Blitz, March 29
- Do you know where your next meal is coming from?
- A Conversation with Appalachian Filmmakers
- Early Printed Bibles on View during Shakespeare Symposium
- Accessible to All — Resources to Learn More About Disabilities
- Financial Hardship and Food Insecurity on Campus: Panel Discussion, March 9
Upcoming Events
More Events-
Barbara Dombrowski - “Tropic Ice” Exhibit, Screening and Lecture at Hodges Library
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Barbara Dombrowski - “Tropic Ice” Exhibit, Screening and Lecture at Hodges Library
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Barbara Dombrowski - “Tropic Ice” Exhibit, Screening and Lecture at Hodges Library