1959 ROSE BOWL TRAIN TOUR
All Aboard Herky is a painting inspired by a Rose Bowl invitation that almost didn’t happen. In 1959, the Iowa Hawkeyes football team went to the Rose Bowl. However, with the Rose Bowl less than a month away, the 220 student-musicians in the 1959 UI Band and Scottish Highlanders were told there was no budget for their trip and state funds were not allowed.
Morale and faith were lifted when the Sante Fe Railways stepped up to provide the students with an 18-car luxury train that would allow the UI students a once in a lifetime 3600-mile tour with 11 performances that started in Fort Madison, IA. Performance stops also included Kansas City, Albuquerque, Disneyland, the Art Linkletter Show, Hollywood’s Moulin Rouge Club, and finally the Tournament of Roses Parade.
I’ve had a chance to meet Band and Highlander members who were on the trip and I look forward to making many more paintings from this unique moment in Iowa Hawkeye history. All Aboard Herky features many layered Herkies over the Sante Fe Railway classic train logo.
©2011 Jeff McNutt. All rights reserved.
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