Ole Miss Musings: The Case of the Mysterious Megaphone

A drawing circa 1675 is one of the earliest depictions of a megaphone according to Wikipedia. Cheerleaders at the University of Minnesota are credited with first using acoustic megaphones in conjunction with sporting events dating back to 1898.
This past November, Jim “The General” Stephens acquired an interesting artifact to accompany his Ole Miss memorabilia collection.  The item, a megaphone, was obtained through an estate sale in the Overton Park area of Memphis. The megaphone was clearly dated with several distinct clues to its identity, one being the name “Theresa.” The other two reflected a pair of Confederate flags and the name “REBS” written on the side.

Since the acquisition, the General has been researching Ole Miss annuals attempting to identify the cheerleader. He has checked 1940 through 1965 and has even looked into his 1930’s collection which is still in need of 1932, 33 and 34. To date, the investigation has come up empty.
The General did find photos (about 5 or 6) that contained cheerleaders using megaphones, however, no match with Theresa was located.
There is yet another possibility, and that is the mystery cheerleader could be associated with another school altogether, even a Memphis High School that had “Rebels” as its mascot. Or, the megaphone could not even be associated with a school and was the product of another activity altogether.
Should any of our readers have an ideas how to resolve this enigma, we want to hear from you. Solving mysteries without any clues (or in this case, very few), is not the easiest assignment that the General has ever been given. Who is this mysterious “Theresa”? Was she an Ole Miss cheerleader and if so, when? Or, did Theresa represent another body of Rebels, or maybe just simply a fan? We may never know the answers, but there is always the chance that someone does!

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Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.
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