A list of the Grand Marshals since 1925

Grand Marshal 2024

Tucson Rodeo Parade Honors Louise Thomas as 2024 Grand Marshal

Tucson, Ariz. (Feb. 7, 2024) The Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee has chosen Louise Thomas, founder of Angel Charity for Children, Inc. as its 2024 Rodeo Parade Grand Marshal. Louise is an everyday hero, an “Angel” who turned a personal tragedy into a cause that has positively impacted the lives of more than a million children throughout Pima County, Arizona.

The family tragedy was the loss of her 9-year-old son Michael to lymphoma in 1979. From her personal grief, Louise has brought hope for a better life for the children in our
community. Since Angel Charity was founded in 1983, the all-volunteer organization she spearheaded has touched more than 1 million children, 129 nonprofit children’s agency projects, and raised more than $31 million to improve lives of children in Pima County, Arizona.

In 1982, she was asked to join the board of directors of the Ronald McDonald House and develop a plan to pay off the property’s mortgage. Facing the challenge full throttle, she and co-founder/vice chair, the late Jane Loew Sharples, started Angel Charity for Children. With Louise’s leadership over 41 years, hundreds of Angel volunteers have annually raised between $750,000 to $1,000,000 to fund nonprofits serving children’s needs by funding brick and mortar projects to build or renovate facilities, retiring mortgages, social services, health care, media research, education, and the arts. Her inspiration to help others also launched an endowed chair in pediatric cancer research
and inspired the launch of another nonprofit organization called PANDA (People Acting Now Discover Answers) in Phoenix, Arizona. PANDA has raised over $26 million for the Steele Children’s Research Center at the University of Arizona.

The Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee recognizes Louise’s dedication and charitable efforts for Southern Arizona’s children and is proud to honor her as the 2024 Parade Grand Marshal.

2024 - Louise Thomas

2023 - Jessica Cox

2022 - Aida Barnes

2020 - World War II Veterans

2019 - Guy Atchley

2018 - Tucson Conquistadors

2017 - Jeannette Maré

2016- Chandler Warden

2015 - Coach Jerry Kindall

2014 - Dan Marries
2013 - Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly

2012 - Tucson Boys Chorus
2011 - Joel D. Valdez
2010 - Big Jim Griffith
2009 - Mayor Robert E. Walkup
2008 - Humberto Lopez
2007 - Richard H. Carmona. M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S
2006 - Louise Serpa
2005 -Baxter Black
2004 - Mrs. Cele Peterson
2003 - Larry Mahan
2002 - Mike Candrea
2001 - olan Ellis
2000 - Hadley Barrett
1999 - Sons of the Pioneers
1998 - Rex Allen, Jr.
1997 - Don Collier
1996 - Ben Johnson
1995 - Charles Sampson
1994 - Gil Fricker
1993 - Jim Ronstadt
1992 - Burt Humphrey
1991 - Bill West
1990 - Chuck Henson
1989 - Jim Click, Jr.
1988 - Lute Olson
1987 - Governor Rose Mofford
1986 - Bill Breck
1985 - Paul Grimes
1984 - Mayor Lew Murphy
1983 - Frank B. Roe
1982 - Roscoe Christopher
1981 - Kingston J. Smallhouse
1980 - Joe Weinzapfel
1979 - Clinton L. Helbig
1978 - Roy P. Drachman
1977 - Joseph O. Niemann
1976 - Alex G. Jacome
1975 - Harry V. Chambers

[one-half-first]1974 Gene C. Reid
1973 Royal Irving
1972 Brooks Davis
1971 John R. Snider
1970 Ambassador Raul H. Castro
1969 U. S. Senator Carl Hayden
1968 C. Edgar Goyette
1967 Ferd Lauber
1966 George W. Chambers
1965 Fred Blanc
1964 Pete Waggoner
1963 Clarence E. Britten
1962 A. M. (Jake) Meyer
1961 Harry Blacklidge
1960 Dr. Richard Harvill
1959 Frank Putter
1958 Frank Putter
1957 Frank Putter
1956 Ed Echols
1955 Ed Echols
1954 Ed Echols
1953 Ed Echols
1952 Ed Echols
1951 Ed Echols
1950 Frank Putter
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1949 Frank Putter
1948 Frank Putter
1947 Frank Putter
1946 Frank Putter
1945 no Parade – WW II
1944 no Parade – WW II
1943 Frank Putter
1942 Frank Putter
1941 J. C. Jack Kinney
1940 J. C. Jack Kinney
1939 J. C. Jack Kinney
1938 J. C. Jack Kinney
1937 J. C. Jack Kinney
1936 J. C. Jack Kinney
1935 Fred Ginter
1934 J. C. Jack Kinney
1933 J. C. Jack Kinney
1932 J. C. Jack Kinney
1931 J. C. Jack Kinney
1930 J. C. Jack Kinney
1929 American Legion & Pete Waggoner
1928 American Legion & Pete Waggoner
1927 American Legion & Pete Waggoner
1926 American Legion & Pete Waggoner
1925

Lions Club, Kiwanis, Rotary Club & Pete Waggoner

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