1949
RODEO
COURT
MEMORIES FROM
THE 1949 COURT
Courtesy of Marian Birkmaier
The 1949 Chief Joseph Days Court. Left to right: unidentifi ed Indian princess, Queen Beverly Oliver (Wallowa), Diane Snodderly
(Lostine), unidentifi ed man, Marian Mawhin (Enterprise), unidentifi ed Indian princess and Ruby Mallon (Joseph)
By Ellen Morris Bishop
Wallowa County Chieftain
C
hief Joseph Days began 74 years
ago in 1946. And while many
memories of that original rodeo
have faded, those of 1949 Court
members Ruby Mallon Zollman
and Marian Mawhin Birkmaier and are
still as fresh as the day they were made.
Both former court members are Wal-
lowa County natives, and now live in
Joseph.
C8 | Chief Joseph Days 2019
In 1949, Birkmaier said, the mem-
bers of the Chief Joseph Days court
were selected from each of the principal
schools in the community. “They were
high school seniors who were voted on
by the students and faculty as some-
one who could represent the school and
their community well,” she said. “We
weren’t chosen for our ability to ride.”
Queen Beverly Oliver hailed from Wal-
lowa, Ruby Mallon (now Ruby Zoll-
man) represented Joseph and Marian
Mawhin (now Marian Birkmaier) rep-
resented Enterprise.
“Back then,” Zollman said, “the
Chamber of Commerce didn’t have
hardly any money. But they decided
they needed a rodeo court, and peo-
ple would be really enthusiastic if each
community had a member on the court.
So in the last week of May, they got
each school to pick a court member.
My high school (Joseph) voted. I rode
horses and I’d grown up on a ranch, so
the class stood behind me.”
In 1949 the rodeo court had spe-
cial outfi ts. But their overall wardrobe
was pretty limited, “We had to pay for