In the Canal Zone, community life was shaped as much by celebration and tradition as it was by work and geography. Events like the Ocean to Ocean Cayuco Race and the annual football Jamboree were more than just competitions; they were cultural norms. At the center of these traditions were two important figures: the Cayuco Queen and the Jamboree Queen. Though different in roles and events, both served as meaningful symbols of identity, memory, and community pride. The Cayuco Queen and the Jamboree Queen functioned as public-facing ambassadors. They appeared at ceremonies, parades, and celebrations, embodying the spirit of their respective events and teams. Their presence reinforced a strong sense of identity among Zonians, especially among alumni of schools like Cristobal High School, Balboa High School, and Canal Zone College. These roles illustrate how sport and celebration blended with tradition and social life, being that the queens were central to how these events were experienced, remembered, and passed down. Whether standing beside a victorious cayuco crew or riding in a parade before a football game, they symbolized the collective pride of their communities. 

The Jamboree Queen: Pageantry and School Spirit 

The Jamboree Queen emerged from the lively traditions surrounding the Canal Zone football Jamboree, an annual event dating back to 1950. Held at Cristobal High School, the Jamboree marked the beginning of the football season and brought together students, families, and entire communities from both sides of the isthmus.

A previous Object of the Day blog post shared some insight on the Jamboree event through comments left by former Zonians. Mary Alice Williford remembered that there was a fourth team called the “Working Boys”, in which all four teams played a quarter against each other and the team with the most accumulated points won the Jamboree. The parade consisted of the cheerleaders from each school and a Jamboree queen representing each team. Mrs. Williford herself was a Cristobal cheerleader from 1958 until she graduated in 1961.

Another comment left by Hal Wade mentions that the Jamboree event was the idea of Luke C. Palumbo, a coach and science teacher at CHS. He recalls that by the late 1960s only CHS, BHS and Canal Zone College played in it. BHS and the Canal Zone College chartered a special Football Train to travel to the Atlantic side. On it were the teams, cheerleaders, bands, students, and parents from the Pacific side. Mr. Wade’s recollection is a beautiful example of the fond memories tied to the event, a time when Canal Zone schools and communities were able to come together and support their respective teams during the all-American game.

The young women chosen as queens were usually heavily involved in school and community activities, making the role of Jamboree Queen an extension of their participation in Canal Zone culture.

The Jamboree queens themselves stood as embodiments of school spirit and unity, and their presence in the enthusiastic parade helped transform the jamboree into a full-scale cultural celebration. She reflects the importance of pageantry in mid-century Canal Zone life. She represented ideals of poise, popularity, and community belonging, offering a visible role for young women within a largely male-dominated sports culture. At the same time, her role reveals the gendered expectations of the era, where women’s participation was often framed through ceremonial visibility rather than athletic competition.

In 1975 Balboa split into two teams, the Red Machine and the Bulldogs. All BHS athletes whose last names began with A through K were on the Red and those from L through Z were Bulldogs. Below are their respective queens for the 1977 jamboree season.

While the Jamboree Queen represented the very essence of school spirit, the Cayuco Queen was another significant cultural role in Canal Zone life that was tied to the iconic Ocean to Ocean Cayuco Race.

The Cayuco Queen: From Ceremony to Legacy

As the cayuco race grew in popularity, so did the ceremonial traditions tied to the event. Just as the Jamboree Queen was a role representing the Jamboree Football Game, the Cayuco Queen was a representative of one of the Canal Zone’s most iconic endurance events: the Ocean to Ocean Cayuco Race. This grueling, multi-stage race retraced historic routes across Panama, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and evoking earlier forms of trans-isthmian travel. 

Our collection includes the 1961 queen entry forms, as seen below:

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, photographs and newspaper coverage continued to place the Cayuco Queen at the center of race celebrations.

Here is Lee Harwell, 1968 Cayuco Queen with the winners:

The Cayuco Queen stood alongside the winning team, participating in award ceremonies and becoming part of the race’s legacy. Archival photographs frequently show her holding trophies, crowned and smiling beside paddlers who had completed the demanding journey. In 1978 for example, Cayuco Queen Lisa Soltesz appears with the victorious crew of the “Dear Dick,” marking the race’s 25th anniversary. 

Even the smaller ceremonial details like the queens’ crowns show how meaningful this role was, with Frank Townsend mentioning in his Cayuco Race Early Years Collection that they were originally purchased from La Luna in Santa Ana Plaza. When early organizers suggested passing down the crowns each year, the queens refused, insisting that each crown belonged to its recipient. As a result, new crowns were awarded annually, reinforcing the individuality and honor of the title. 

Over time, the Cayuco Queen became more closely associated with the race’s evolving identity. While still ceremonial, her role existed alongside the growing inclusion of women in cayuco racing itself, signaling a gradual shift from symbolic representation toward active participation. 

A Shared Legacy

Today, photos of both Cayuco and Jamboree Queens serve as important archival records. They capture moments of celebration, social life, and values of the Canal Zone. The contrast between the posed ceremonial images of queens, and the usual action shots of the racers represent the gender roles of the time. Still, the queens’ role show cultural shifts, with the Jamboree Queen representing an earlier figure of school spirit, while the Cayuco Queen shows a transition towards the eventual inclusion of female racers. Through crowns, parades, and photographs, their legacy endures!

“A person who cannot swim, can become a menace not only to himself, but to others.”

– Coach Henry J. Grieser 

Growing up along the Panama Canal, the children there became acquainted with an aquatic way of life. From boating to water sports to swimming, a Zonian would come to know the waterways, and to some it became almost a second home. Such is the case of the Red, White, and Blue Troupe, a co-ed group of young, talented swimmers, ranging from ages 5 to 16, who would perform and compete nationwide. 

Trained and led by Balboa High School’s own Coach Henry J. Grieser, their exhibitions incorporated a series of fancy high dives, synchronized swimming, and other performances. One swimmer, Angela Klemmer (also a Balboa High School alum), even swam handcuffed and would then unshackle herself underwater. They would perform in a variety of ways, including an annual swim meet, hosting benefits for various charities, and special performances for celebrities and VIPs, often with thousands of onlookers.  

Founded in 1918, the Red, White and Blue Troupe was the product of Coach Grieser’s tutelage, with the Troupe’s first appearance in Balboa High School yearbook in 1922. Coach Grieser originally began at Balboa High coaching the girls’ and boys’ water polo team in 1918, who quickly rose as champions of their craft. At the time, Grieser is cited as working at the Balboa YMCA. Later, Grieser would become coach of the Balboa Pool, eventually receiving the title of Government Swimming Director and Child Developer of the Canal Zone. 

I first discovered the Red, White, and Blue Troupe through the achievements of the Balboa High swimming athletes. The Zonian yearbooks often bragged about many of the students’ achievements, including Olympic feats and breaking of world records. Among the BHS alumni in the Troupe are Angela Klemmer, Robert Pearson, Alma Mann, Lyla “Lou” Womack, Ester Greene, and Arline Schmidt. The co-educational aspect of the Troupe was unique in that boys and girls were encouraged to swim and exercise. The Red, White and Blue Troupe signifies the success with which the Panama Canal Zone Schools incorporated co-ed physical education into their curriculum. As the photo below suggests, many of the youngest swimmers of the Troupe would eventually become students at Balboa High School.  

Many alumni of the Troupe remember their adventures fondly. Lou Womack remembers being part of the Troupe as “unbelievable,” describing the swimmers as “part fish,” due to their incredible swimming abilities. They would grow up swimming in the locks, sharing the waterways with large cargo boats passing through the Canal. Often performing at the Balboa Pool, they would have crowds of thousands attending their performances. The Red, White, and Blue Troupe was an incredible experience and cultivated a number of top-notch athletes. 

Word of the Troupe’s abilities spread, and they often were the main attraction for guests visiting the Canal. The Troupe performed for important politicians and officials such as Charles Lindbergh, Admiral Richard Byrd, General John Pershing, former Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Photos from some of these celebrities’ visits are shown here.  

The Red, White, and Blue Troupe were shining stars of the Panama Canal, demonstrating an aquatic way of life and a commitment to sharing their craft with the community and larger, the nation.

We get questions from time to time about our behind-the-scenes activities, everything from storage to scanning, so two of our Panama Canal Museum Collection graduate students created this video to show a typical workday for them. The video was produced in March 2026 by Caroline Davis and Azariah Rodriguez of the University of Florida Museum Studies Program. Caroline and Azariah have been working for the PCMC since mid-Fall 2025 on projects relating to Balboa High School and the annual Ocean-to-Ocean Cayuco Race at the Panama Canal. Their Interns Gone Wild! video shows some of our PCMC storage areas in the Smathers Library Building, as well as views of the students scanning photos, browsing past PCMC Blog posts created by them, and searching the collection. Enjoy!