 Curtis Alton Beall papers
Collection DescriptionHistorical NoteCurtis "Coot" Alton Beall was born in Dublin, Georgia in 1922. He played trumpet in the Dublin High School band and played on the school basketball team. After graduation, Beall attended Middle Georgia College on a basketball scholarship. Beall transfered to the University of Georgia after one year, but was ineligible to play basketball. In 1942, he campaigned to join the UGA football cheerleading squad (as UGA cheerleaders were elected by the student body at the time). In addition to cheerleading, Beall won election to the following honor and academic societies: X-Club, Aghon, Blue Key, Gridiron, and ODK. As World War II escalated, Beall was ordered to active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps and sent to Officer Candidate School at Duke University, joining the basketball team while there. After two semesters, Beall began basic training at Parris Island and graduated from Reserve Officer School in 1944. Beall was sent to Pacific Theater and was a commander at the Battle of Okinawa. He ended up in Tientsin, China where he was awarded a Purple Heart. Beall was dischared from the service in 1946 and returned home to marry his college sweetheart, June Clarke. He re-enrolled at UGA and in 1947 received his Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Agronomy and a minor in Animal Husbandry. Since then, Beall has partaken in numerous entriprises such as teaching agriculture classes to vetrans and farmers and serving as the President of the Federal Land Bank Association in Dublin, GA. Until his death in January of 2013, Beall was the oldest male UGA cheerleader, leading the students in cheers at the annual Homecoming game until 2011. Scope and ContentThis collection contains Beall's 2006 book, Memoirs of a Marine Dawg: From Rose Bowl to Pacific Theater, the proceeds of which were donated to benefit UGA cheerleader expenses. Additional materials include Beall's 1947 UGA diploma along with trophies, plaques, and certificates. The collection also holds photographs, correspondence, and mixed media dating from the 1940s through 2012. Articles of clothing include two UGA rat caps, a cheerleading sweater, an "X" Club jacket, a World War II era Pith Helmet, Marine uniforms, and letter sweaters from Duke, Middle Georgia College, and Dublin High School. Administrative InformationPreferred CitationCurtis Alton Beall papers, UA0026, University Archives, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries. General NotesRG 6 Related Materials and SubjectsSubject Terms | ||||||||||||||||||||