Let's Cut a Rug...
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The University of Texas at Austin

"Let's cut a rug!" was a popular cry at dances on the campus during World War II. Despite the seriousness of the war effort, students still found ways to have fun, and much of the University's social life centered on the Texas Union.

During the war, the Union was a place to both participate in the war and escape from it. The U.S. armed forces set-up a recruitment center in the building. Classes in first aid, bandage rolling, and even how to be an air-raid warden were common.The Union was also the drop-off site for an endless series of collection drives.

Courtesy, Prints and Photograph Collection, Center for American History.

Aluminum, rubber, and books and magazines for soldiers overseas were the most successful. A silk drive, though, was not as popular. Because silk burned without smoking, it was needed to make gun powder bags for ammunition. Silk shirts and women's hose were requested, but campus co-eds were not eager to donate. "Too many girls are sitting on silk," complained The Daily Texan. "Campus co-eds are either not taking the trouble to turn in their old hose, or are looking forward to a cold winter."

A college-aged soldier who had likewise registered could visit the Bureau and request a date for the upcoming weekend. Every effort was made to match similar interests. Once a co-ed was selected, the Bureau called the girl. If she had no other engagements, she would "consider it her patriotic duty to comply with the request."

A co-ed was required to obtain permission from her parents before she could register for the Bureau, and the couple was only permitted to go to places approved by the Dean of Women. As further insurance against "misconduct" of a soldier, the girl was to report back to the Bureau the following day. Soldiers who broke the rules were barred from future dates.

The following month, students solved another problem caused by the war. The all-University dances, held every weekend in the Union Ballroom, were very popular through the 1930s. Jazz greats such as Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington brought their bands to the campus, and revenue from the dances allowed the Union to remain self-supporting. With the onset of war came gas rationing and tire shortages. Dance bands could no longer tour the country, so University students had to rely on local talent or supply their own.

The "Longhorn Room" debuted on Saturday, November 14, 1942 to a sold out crowd. Decked out with wagon wheels, cedar posts, bales of hay and red-checkered tablecloths, the ballroom was transformed into a western-styled nightclub. Couples (no stags allowed!) were charged fifty cents, and could reserve tables in advance. Music was supplied by the Union's record player. Student groups volunteered to set-up and decorate, wait on tables, tend bar, and clean up afterward.

The highlight of the evening was the half-hour variety show, which was often unpredictable. A sorority might perform a short musical, complete with costumes and dancing, or individual students would entertain the crowd with stand-up comedy. Occasionally the football team brought down the house with their version of the Can-can.

The Longhorn Room was strictly non-alcoholic, though it sparked the creation of a new concoction called "Kickapoo Joy Juice." Made from orange juice, ice cream, coconut and milk, it was "guaranteed to lift the drinker by his shoelaces, set him on a little pink cloud, and let him down easy."

The Longhorn Room continued in the Union for the duration of the war and attracted national attention. Downbeat, PIC and Mademoiselle magazines printed features, while Downbeat judged the Longhorn Room as "one of the most unique entertainments in American colleges."