Drill Team - The Long Red Line
In 1955, Gladiss Edwards, Pasadena High School Principal at the time, came up with the idea of starting a drill team. In "her dreams" she envisioned a group of sharp, high-stepping girls, all with excellent academic, behavior and conduct records, who would represent the "Pride of Pasadena" in the community.
Mrs. Edwards offered the job as the Drill Team Director to Joanne Owens, Ms. Owens knew very little about how a drill team operated. But that did not last very long. Ms. Owens led the Pasadena High School Drill Team for 25 years and the team received numerous awards. This group added spirit, pep and pride to the school and community. It brought discipline, togetherness, and dedication to many, many young women.
The drill team was known for its trademark red dresses and white gloves and earned many awards over the years. Its members performed at Los Angeles Rams and Dodgers games, before the San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Colts and in Switzerland.
Joanne Owens
Born - 1933 Asheille, NC
Died - April 20, 2007 Pasadena, CA
Ms.Owens was at Pasadena High School from 1955 to 1990, teaching physical education and health.
She was born in Asheville, N.C., the daughter of Errol and Alva Owens and had one brother, Richard. She and Richard formed a well-known dancing duo when Joanne was just 4, performing at a presidential ball and donating 3,000 hours of performances to East Coast USOs during World War II.
They appeared as dancers in the 1946 movie “It’s A Wonderful Life,” with James Stewart and Donna Reed. They moved to California in 1942 and won a television dance competition, which led to their own television show, “Teen Town,” in 1949.
At Whittier High School, Owens became a varsity cheerleader and later was the first female cheerleader at Pasadena City College.
She graduated from UCLA in 1955 and began a career as a physical education teacher and drill team instructor, leading Pasadena High School's drill team, the “Long Red Line,” for 25 years.