Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article

June 20, 1993
By Deborah Curtis Drummy
Vigo County Historical Society

Senior cords revive memories of fab ‘50s

“Fads and Fins, the Fabulous Fifties,” the 14th annual Summer Celebration put on by the Vigo County Historical Society, will treat the audience to a look back at some of the happenings and traditions that made those years memorable.

A search through the 1950s and 1960s yearbooks at the Vigo County Public Library shows evidence that the wearing of senior cords was a fashion tradition, begun in the 1950s, and subscribed to by nearly every Wabash Valley high school.

Talks with baby boomers from various parts of the country suggest that the tradition may have been very Midwestern, perhaps even centered mostly in Indiana.

What exactly were painted cords, and what were the traditions surrounding them?

Painted cords were brightly painted corduroy skirts and trousers worn by senior high school students. Senior cords were yellow as a rule and were worn only by seniors.

Seniors would wear their cords plain or decorated. The decorations can best be described as personalized graffiti. Popular comic book heroes of the day--Dennis the Menace, Daffy Duck, Alfred E. Neuman, Snoopy--showed their bright faces from the seats of skirts and trousers.

Other graffiti represented personal data--nicknames, boyfriends, girlfriends, chemistry flasks, sports symbols, National Honor Society emblems or music symbols.

Humor inevitably crept into the artwork, some of it bordering on the objectionable. The girls tended toward the tame, with skunks painted across the seats of their skirts or “one hour parking only.” The boys tended to test the limits of good taste a little more rigorously. One pair of trousers has the words “Spanish Fly” across the crotch.

The quality of artwork on the painted cords varied tremendously, ranging from crudely hand-lettered names done all in black, to professional quality designs in a rainbow of colors.

Evelyn Roberts, a teacher in Indiana school during the cord years, remembers students coming to her house and paying a token $3 to $5 for her artistic renderings. She recalls painting class rings, mascots, club emblems, and symbols representing class trips, such as cherry blossoms to indicate a trip to Washington, D.C.

This tradition of senior cords came and went in the Wabash Valley, and just as no one knows exactly when or where the idea of senior cords began, no one knows exactly when or where the idea made the inevitable transition from tradition to history.

Senior cords are to be found on stage at the Indiana Theatre when “Fads and Fins the Fabulous Fifties” plays on July 10. The pre-show starts at 7:30 p.m. and the show begins at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are on sale at the Historical Museum, Carney Tire Co., American Tile & Sales Co., The Paper Chase or by calling 235-9717.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

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