Full Breakdown
Dee Brock, founding director of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, dies at 96
By Drooid · · How we work
Founding the Squad and Early Leadership
Dee Brock, a former high-school teacher and Dallas model, was recruited by Cowboys president Tex Schramm in the early 1960s to create a sideline entertainment group. She launched the “Cowbelles and Beaux” in 1961, initially using high-school students who performed traditional cheers. By 1965 Brock added dance elements after meeting local drill-team director Frances Roberson, and in 1969 she eliminated the male members, establishing the all-female format that defines the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) today.
Evolution of the Program
Under Brock’s direction the squad introduced its now-iconic uniforms—boots, short shorts and a midriff-bearing, fringed top—in 1972, a design she sketched on a legal pad. She also raised the minimum age to 18, hired professional choreographer Texie Waterman, and advocated for integration, resulting in the inclusion of the first African-American cheerleaders in 1965, including Eunice Taylor-Cicero. Brock retired in 1975, but her innovations set the stage for the DCC’s national fame, Super Bowl appearances in the mid-1970s, and the “America’s Sweethearts” brand that persists.
Official Statements & Responses
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders organization announced Brock’s death on a Wednesday, confirming she was 96. Finglass highlighted Brock’s role in integrating the team and noted that the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award—presented on June 4, 2022—reflected Brock’s enduring influence on generations of performers.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Dee’s leadership, imagination and unwavering commitment to excellence shaped far more than a team. She created a standard, a spirit and a symbol that have inspired generations and earned recognition around the world,” — Kelli Finglass, pictured with director
- “Her influence lives on in every performance, every dream pursued and every woman who has ever worn the uniform with pride. We are deeply grateful for her vision, her courage and the extraordinary legacy she leaves with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.” — Kelli Finglass, pictured with director
- “I hadn’t realized I had made such a good impression, and I’m so happy about that,” — Dee Brock, cowboys cheerleader founder
- “The kindness that she showed, the encouragement, the warmth to a 16-year-old high school girl, it’s amazing what encouraging words, what kindness can do.” — Eunice Cicero
- “Had it not been for (Brock’s) persistence in having someone of color on the team, it would have perhaps taken even longer,” — Eunice Taylor-Cicero
Data & Statistics
- Birth: June 7, 1930, in Covington, Oklahoma.
- Founding year: 1961.
- Uniform debut: 1972 (remains largely unchanged).
- Integration milestone: 1965, with two Black cheerleaders joining the squad.
- Tenure as director: 1961 – 1975 (14 years).
- Lifetime Achievement Award presented: June 4, 2022.
What Comes Next
As of press time, funeral arrangements or memorial services for Brock had not been announced. The organization’s social-media tribute emphasized that her legacy “will continue to shine” for future members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
