Draft:Purdue Golden Girl

The Purdue Golden Girl is one of the featured twirlers associated with the Purdue All-American Marching Band. Since the position was first created in 1954, 32 individuals have held the title, all being among the best twirlers in the United States during their tenures.

In addition to performing in Ross-Ade Stadium, the Golden Girl frequently appears as a special guest at public events in the West Lafayette area. In some instances, she will perform at other Purdue sporting events, usually surrounded by her other twirling team members. She is one of the spokespersons for the band and Purdue University as a whole, meaning that availability with the media and public is not uncommon.

History
During the summer of 1954, Dr. Al G. Wright contemplated adding a featured twirler to his band. He did this in an effort to transition the "All-American" Marching Band into a new era, moving away from its ROTC roots. During his search, Colorado-based twirler Juanita Carpenter caught his eye. She was recruited by Purdue, and given a gold sequin uniform that stood out from the rest of the band. Dr. Wright's wife Gladys was the first to coin the name "Golden Girl," stemming from the combination of her outfit and bleached blonde hair. Additionally, the name painted her as a counterpart to Purdue football star quarterback Len Dawson, Purdue's "Golden Boy."

In the years since Carpenter relinquished her role due to marriage at the age of 19, there have been 31 others to take up her golden mantle. Up until 1995, every Golden Girl had sported blonde hair, with Dawn Vardaman being the first brunette to fill the role. June Ciampa is the only Golden Girl to have had the role in separate stints, once in 1961-62 and then later in 1964-65. She was also the first "International Twirler", now known as the "Girl In Black," during the 1962-63 season.