(December 2023)
Tim Spitzack
Editor
Attend most any sporting event – from junior high on up to the pros – and you’ll find a cadre of enthusiastic people on the sidelines rousing fans to cheers, chants and spirited dance moves and acrobatic throws. Interestingly, the first cheerleader in the United States was a man who would become one of South St. Paul’s most prominent citizens.
Johnny Campbell is hailed by many as the nation’s first cheerleader. It all began in 1898 when he was a medical student at the University of Minnesota. The football team was struggling that year and the campus newspaper chided the school’s fans for not knowing how to support their team. As a result, a public meeting was held to discuss the issue. At the meeting, Campbell suggested that the team needed someone to lead “yells and songs” to ignite the crowd and pump up the team. Everyone agreed and pointed to him as the man to take on the task. Campbell accepted and made his debut at the Nov. 2, 1898, game against Northwestern. It was there that Campbell first stood before the crowd and chanted “Rah, Rah, Rah! Sku-u-mar, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!” Apparently, his efforts proved to be just what the team needed. The Gophers won the game 17-6, and the cheerleading movement was born.
Cheerleading has come a long way since then. In the early days, cheers were led predominantly by males, many of whom were former players. This continued until the early 1940s, when throngs of young men were drafted into the Armed Forces during World War II. It was then that women took over the role, and within 20 years females would come to dominate cheerleading.
Ironically, South St. Paul Public Schools does not have a cheerleading program today. According to Kris Nihart with the Activities office, the program disbanded in 2001 due to a declining lack of interest. The high school does have a school song, though. It’s called the Packer Fight Song and it goes like this:
Stand up and cheer
Stand up and cheer for our Kaposia
Pledge your loyalty; For it’s our high school name so dear
Our team are fighting; And we will help to see them through
We’ve got the team rah rah; We’ve got the steam rah rah
So our Kaposia here’s to you!
K-A-P-O-S-I-A
Fight, Kaposia Fight!
Perhaps it’s time to hold a public meeting to discuss the need to bring back a group of students to lead this song and other cheers at future Packer games. I think Campbell would agree.
Whatever happened to Campbell?
After graduating with his medical degree, he opened his practice in South St. Paul by 1902 and later served as the city’s health officer for many years. His practice was located at 203 N. Concord St. and he and his family lived in a large house at 152 Third Ave. S. He continued to be an ardent Gopher fan and could be seen at games – cowbell in hand – for nearly 40 years. Sadly, Campbell was killed in an auto accident on Nov. 23, 1936, while driving in a blizzard to visit a patient.
