Idea for UO Canoe Fete
Originated First in 1911
If hlatory repeata itself the
Canoe Fete tonight should pro
duce Home comical eventa hh well
hh beautiful float displays.
The flint Idea of a water car
nival on the rare originated in
15MI. That year Canoe races,
swimming meets, and diving ex
hibitions constituted the ahow.
Not until 1915 did the Canoe
Kete become the baaia for what
we arc to aee tonight.
Alpha Tau Omega won firat
prize that year with a aubmarlne
"0-29" that fired blank cart
ridges hh it flowed down the
rare. Delta Gamma took second
with an all-white float entitled
"Dawn." F'ure white canoea,
white roaea, a white and silver
butterfly, white lights, and girls
dreaaed in white carried out the
all-white theme.
The Sigma Chi'a at aged the
famoua “Cleopatra coming down
the Nile." One of the men por
trayed Cleopatra and "accident
ly" fell into the ran- an the float
passed in front of the audience.
Afterwards the men admitted
the idea was somewhat pre
meditated.
In 1910 th<- water fete grew
larger and John MeMurray, Ire
land's champion awimraer. did a
high dive through flames from
the roof of the race-way aa the
feature attraction.
The 1917 Fete diatinguiahed it
aelf with the eruption of a vol
cano, in thin cane it waa the
Delta Delta Delta float volcano.
A defective sparkler net the cot
ton on fire, but no one waa in
jured
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Welcome
Mothers
From 1 SIH through 1925 the
Fete kept growing with improve- j
ments In underwater lighting ef- '
fects, greater detail in float con
al ruction and creation of the
float theme. In 1920 award* were I
given to winning floats in two
divlaiona, artistic anil humorona,
Bath float appear ed through the
mouth of a brilliant dragon,
which arched over the race and
belched forth clouda of fiery
colored at earn.
"Canoe Feet" of which Tau
Nil and Phi Gamma Delta were
the originators wan a parody on
college atyles. The two canoes
were feet, while away up on top,
at the end of a pair of huge
yellow and green checked troua- !
era, a young man smoked non- ;
chantly.
No records have been found of
the 1927 Fete .and it is believed
that the Fete was discontinued
due to special problems or lack
of interest.
Canoe Fete in 1929 went along
without any particular outstand
ing incidents. However, in 1930
the Delta Delta Delta ar.d Sigma
Pi Tau dragon float caught fire
during its Jaunt down the race
and the fire from the dragon's
own bieath gutted its entire
head, and reduced him to a smol
dering framework of wood and
steel. Two hours later it was
awarded first prize for being the
most effective and best float.
The annual Fete continued
from '30 to '35 when that year
Bing Crosby offered_a prize to
the winning float For some rea
son the award was kept secret
and no records ever told just
, what the prize wns.
The Alpha Chi Omega and Phi
Sigma Kappa float “Kathleen
Mavoureen” in 1936 won accord
prize but not before the mule on
the float Jumped into, the race
and decided to swim to shore.
From 1937 till the last fete in
1941, the University continued
to stand apart from the rest of
the collegiate world each spring
when once again the ^picturesque
floats would move down the race
under gay lights and to the
strains of orchestral music.
“Arabian Nights’’ was the theme
of that last Fete. A mock canoe
fete was held in the afternoon.
Bueh floats as “Stars Kell on
All Baba” and ’Persian Slave
Market" lent an air of comedy
to the day’s events. Since 1941
a street parade substituted for
the famous fete. A highway re
location project eliminated the
area near the one-time Anchor
age, and the mill race fell into
disrepair. The site was land
scaped recently and the stream
widened near the University
physical plant in anticipation
of the revival of the Canoe Fete.
The Canoe Fete steering com
mittee organized this year’s fete
on the basis of a long range plan
which will be improved on and
continued as the main event of
Junior Weekend activities. The
barges for the floats are to be
permanently stored at the physi
cal plant, the large Canoe Fete
banner will be kept from year to
year for publicity. All in all.
these initial plans cost money,
which is why the committee
found it necessary to charge ad
mission this year. In future years
costs should decrease and even
bigger and better Fetes are an
ticipated.
Our congratulations to
Queen Betti
May We Have The
Opportunity to Make
Your Portraits, Too?
Phone 4-3432 For An Appointment
DL Jell
f/
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