Women began joining cheer squads during the 1920s and ’30s as collegiate sports proliferated and men and women began socializing more in public. A separate cheerleading tradition evolved within black educational institutions during the same period, with a similar emphasis on character building and leadership.

During World War II, as men were pulled away from college and into military service, women in college began to take over cheerleading, and the nature of the sport began to change.

Women were mostly excluded from cheerleading until the 1930s. An early opportunity to join squads appeared when large numbers of men were deployed to fight World War I, leaving open spots that women were happy to fill.

During the early 1900s, gymnastics and megaphones were incorporated into cheerleading routines. Women began as participating as cheerleaders for the first time, owing in part to the lack of athletic activities for women.