Pittsburgh Steelerettes

The Pittsburgh Steelerettes were a cheer leading squad in the National Football League, serving as the cheerleaders for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1960s. The squad eventually disbanded, and the Steelers to this day are among the few NFL teams that do not have cheerleaders.

From their beginning in 1963 until their demise in 1969, all members of the Steelerettes were full-time students at Robert Morris Junior College in Pittsburgh, PA. Robert Morris was a small Junior College without a football team who had unofficially adopted the Steelers as "their team". An administrator at the College, William Day, also served as the entertainment coordinator for the Steelers. It was his idea to hold tryouts at the College and select a group of young coeds to perform on the field.

By the late 60s, Robert Morris' student body had grown and the school now had its own football team. The decision to disband was a joint decision between the Rooney family and Robert Morris. The last squad of Steelerettes left the field after the 1969 season.

References

* [http://www.steelerettes.com Official site]
* [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08209/899912-66.stm?cmpid=sports.xml Captain of Steelerettes obituary]