Pasadena Tournament of Roses
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Pasadena Tournament of Roses is the non-profit organization annually produce the New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade since 1895 and the Rose Bowl game, since 1902. This "America's New Year Celebration" is "a festival of flowers, music and equestrians and sports unequaled anywhere in the world", according to the Tournament of Roses. The association has 935 volunteer members and the members spend some 80,000 combined man-power hours to stage the events.[1]
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[edit] Tournament House
Tournament House is the name given the building where the organization is headquartered. The Tournament House (formerly the Wrigley Mansion) and the Wrigley Gardens, are located on South Orange Grove Boulevard, Pasadena, California. The Tournament House, a stately Italian Renaissance-style mansion, was once owned by William Wrigley Jr., the chewing gum magnate. After Mrs. Wrigley's death in 1958, the property was presented to the city of Pasadena with the condition that the house become the permanent base of operations for the Rose Parade.[2]
Today, the five bedrooms of the second floor are used for committee meetings, dressing area for the Royal Court and for displaying of the Tournament of Roses traditions. There are displays of trophies, past Rose Bowl Games, Grand Marshals, Presidents, and Queens and Courts. Of interest is the original panel of Peanuts comic strip for January 1, 1974, when its creator Charles M. Schulz served as the Grand Marshal.[3] On the panel, Lucy was watching the parade on TV and was telling Charlie Brown that "They have some of the most beautiful floats this year I've ever seen." When Charlie asked about the grand marshal, Lucy said, "Yeah, you missed him ... but he wasn't anyone you ever heard of!"
The house was built for real estate and dry goods tycoon George Stimson, designed by his architect son G. Lawrence Stimson. After construction was completed of this house on "Millionaires' Row" in 1914, Mr. Stimson sold it to the Wrigleys for $170,000.
The association maintains the grounds of the Tournament House, and volunteers from the Pacific Rose Society care for the rose gardens. There are hundreds of varieties of roses, camellias, and annuals planted at the All-America Rose Selections' test gardens. The gardens are open to the public throughout the year, except for December 31 through January 2.
[edit] Leadership
Each year, the newly elected president will select a new theme in January and choose a grand marshal during the year. With the announcement of the theme, the preparation and construction of the floral floats begin, along with the selection of marching bands and equestrian units. In 2005, Libby Evans Wright was elected as the first female president of the Tournament.
[edit] Queen and Royal Court
Each year, a selection process is held in late September and early October to find out which Pasadena-area girls (ages 17 to 21) will have the honor of being crowned Queen of the Tournament, or in substitution, one of the members of her "Royal Court". Each year over 1000 girls try out. Six princesses and one queen are chosen. The winners then ride on a float in the parade, and carry out duties in promotion of the Tournament, mainly during its duration and prelude. Their duties include attending over one hundred events in the Pasadena area. They usually receive scholarship money and a 30 piece wardrobe; the 2005 Court also received a Mikimoto pearl necklace. During the time that they attend Tournament events, usually from October to January, each girl usually attends school a few times a week for only a few hours at a time.
The first Rose queen, Hallie Woods, was chosen by her classmates at Pasadena High School in 1905. She made her own gown and helped decorate the float upon which she rode.
[edit] Grand Marshal
The Rose Parade has had some of the world's most distinguished individuals serving as Grand Marshal, which included actors, astronauts, writers, artists, athletes and political figures. Grand Marshal Shirley Temple was the youngest GM ever and she presided over the 50th anniversary Rose Parade celebration (1939).
[edit] Rose Bowl
The Rose Bowl stadium was completed in 1923 and hosted its first game between USC and Penn State. USC won the game, 14-3. In 2002, the first BCS National Championship Game was held on January 3 at the Rose Bowl stadium.
The original Rose Bowl stadium was built in a horseshoe shape, open on the south end, for $272,198.26. It had a capacity of 57,000.
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