UI’s Old Gold Singers Celebrate Golden Anniversary

1974 Old Gold Singers perform on the steps of the Old Capitol. Photo courtesy of Dick Clark Papers, University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections

A group with strong ties to College of Education students now has a University staff member fighting for its survival.

The Old Gold Singers was a student organization formed in 1957. As a traveling show choir, the group combined singing, dancing, and costuming to create memorable experiences for audiences, including an annual holiday performance called Cocoa and Carols.

“Not only are you singing, but you are dancing, telling a story, and involving the audience,” said LaShelle Christensen, a member of the group from 1999 to 2004.

Along the way, students could also test out leadership skills as conductors, choreographers, and more.

The 1959 Old Gold Singers Photo courtesy of the Hawkeye Yearbook

The group was open to all majors. In fact, for several years music majors were not allowed to take part. This meant the singers came from a diverse background and represented people who simply enjoyed performing.

College of Education students made up a large number of participants: More than 20 percent of recorded participants earned College of Education degrees.

“We were an interesting assortment of people because we were all doing our own things,” said Karen Achilles (BA ’61), who joined the group as a sophomore in 1958 and participated for three years.

“It was a wonderful experience,” she said. “We traveled all over the Midwest and appeared on television. I even have a record we made.”

The group also often took a spring break trip.

“The value of these trips was tremendous—like a mini study abroad,” Christensen said. “We learned about the area we were visiting. We learned about each of the individuals in the group. We had a closeness to each other like sports teams do.”

John Bowers (MA ’76), a member of the group in 1970 and 1971, remembers a tour of Mexico with the Old Gold Singers. He also remembers some fancy costuming.

“When I first joined, the costume was a standard set of plaid slacks and a burnt orange sweater. We wore a tuxedo for our formal concerts with blue sparkly cummerbunds and light blue frilly tuxedo shirts,” he said. “The burnt orange outfits were later retired and replaced with purple leisure suits with white pinstripes.”

2001 Old Gold Singers Photo courtesy of the Hawkeye Yearbook

Linda Bendorf (MA ’78), a member of the group from 1972 to 1974, said participating in the Old Gold Singers forced her and her fellow performers to focus on their school work and time management.

“It took many, many hours to rehearse and travel, but it also brought great balance,” she said.

Bendorf, who has taught at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival for the past 15 years and is in the process of starting a similar program in Chicago, said she loved the camaraderie of the Old Gold Singers.

“There’s a real joy in working with people who are passionate about what they do,” she said.

The Old Gold Singers, which operated on a budget earned through its own revenues, was previously offered as a class through the UI School of Music. The School stopped offering the course two years ago and the organization has since floundered as a student organization.

Christensen, who works as a Student Programs coordinator in the Honors Program, is now endeavoring to revive the Old Gold Singers.

“The Old Gold Singers needs a place to call home,” she said. “I remember what it felt like to be part of such a great tradition at Iowa and I want other students to have that feeling as well.”