Predecessor: The Priests of Pallas
Beginning in 1887, partially in response to the establishment of St. Louis's popular annual Veiled Prophet Fair and Veiled Prophet Ball in 1878, Kansas City held an annual harvest-time, Mardi Gras-style festival called the "Priests of Pallas". It consisted of a public parade and an invitation-only debutante ball (the "Priests of Pallas Ball"), organized by a secret society of prominent Kansas Citians that called itself the Priests of Pallas. The first year, President Grover Cleveland attended. Gradually, however, the public lost interest. The festival was suspended for several years beginning in 1912, began again in 1922, and ended for good in 1924. The Queen of the festival (Pallas Athene) in 1922 was Miss Ada Bell Files from Fort Scott Kansas. She was a Freshman student at Lindenwood School (Now Lindenwood University).
Read more about this topic: Jewel Ball
Famous quotes containing the words priests and/or pallas:
“If the barricades went up in our streets and the poor became masters, I think the priests would escape, I fear the gentlemen would; but I believe the gutters would simply be running with the blood of philanthropists.”
—Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936)
“And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the
floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!”
—Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849)