When Claudette Riley’s dance teacher in Knoxville choreographed a baton-twirling routine, little did she realize she was sending a pioneer onto the football field. That was over forty years ago, and what Riley did was start the now-familiar high-stepping, baton-twirling majorettes featured with every college band that parades each fall at half time around the nation’s football fields. Riley became the first scholarship majorette in the history of the University of Tennessee, and since then she has traversed the nation to teach young girls her art. The first time she did her baton-twirling act at Tennessee in 1958, the other majorettes went through a hoola-hoop act. Today, the line of baton-twirlers spreads from sideline to sideline. Riley held about every title a twirler can win, including Miss Majorette of America in 1959 and All-American Twirling Queen in 1957. She never lost a state or southeastern championship. Riley’s national television appearances include the Bob Hope Show, Gary Moore Show, and the Orange and Gator bowl parades. Her native city of Knoxville honored her with a “Claudette Riley Day” for winning the national majorette championship. It is only fitting that the hall of fame include Claudette Riley Sisk for her important contribution to the history of Tennessee sports.
