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Sadie Hawkins Dance was popular with students

November 1, 2010 | Leave a Comment

A popular campus event of the 1950s had the women asking out the men. This “shocking” event was

  • — Amazon Days
  • — ERA Day
  • — Sadie Hawkins Day
  • — Madame President Day

The answer is Sadie Hawkins Day.  Who is Sadie Hawkins?

  • Sadie Hawkins is a fictional comic strip character created by Al Capp in his famous comic, Li’l Abner (1937)
  • Sadie Hawkins Day first appeared in November 1937.  Spinster Sadie married the Dogpatch man she caught in a footrace
  • By 1939, LIFE magazine reported that over 200 colleges participated in the event that year
  • Not only did the girls ask the boys to the dance, they also dressed up as characters from Li’l Abner

BGSU’s first Sadie Hawkins Dance took place in the Spring of 1939.  It proved to be so popular that it was held nearly every year until 1963.  During the 1950s, a week of contests and related activities took place, including competitions for the students who most resembled the comic strip characters Li’l Abner and Daisy Mae. 

–Rebecca N. Todak

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