Who invented cheerleading?

Cheerleading, as we know it today, was initiated in 1898 by Johnny Campbell, an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota, who stood before the crowd at a football game and directed them in a famous and still used yell. "Rah, Rah, Rah! Sku-u-mar, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!". And so cheerleading officially began on November 2, 1898. Whether you are a cheerleader, a yell leader, a songleader or a spiritleader (variations on the term "cheerleader"), or whether you are on an all female, an all male, or a combination male/female squad, you are striving towards one goal. That goal is to effectively lead a crowd in support of an athletic team and to generate spirit and pride within a school or community. Today cheerleading enjoys a reputation of being an important leadership force on practically every high school and college campus in America. All of this is because of a man in Minnesota who couldn't stand sitting in the bleachers. He had to be in front of them! Thank you Johnny Campbell!!