Jack Pinkston
Knob Noster, Missouri

2001 Caller / Cuer Hall of Fame

Jack and Carol Pinkston began square and round dance lessons at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota in the fall of 1972. They moved to Missouri in 1973 and began dancing with the Houn' Dawg Whirlers and Warrensburg Wranglers. Jack helped the Wranglers' club caller, Francis See, with lessons that fall and when Francis decided to retire he recommended to the club that they hire Jack as club caller.

Jack has been club caller for the Wranglers, Recycles, Golden Valley Squares, Bates County Star Squares, Spinnin' Heels, and the Jacks or Better Plus Club. He also has helped Carol with the Roundup Round Dance Club for the past twenty-seven years. He actually started that club but became far too busy with his square dance calling and turned the cueing duties over to Carol after the first year.

After juggling both his job and square dance responsibilities for six years, Jack retired from the Air Force and has been a full time caller for the past twenty-two years. He has toured and called guest dances in all of the surrounding states, conducting caller seminars and workshops, and guest called countless dances in every district in Missouri. He also has conducted untold numbers of lessons, workshops, exhibitions at local and state fairs, nursing homes, parades, and given freely of his time for benefits, using his computer to make flyers for various square dance events, etc.

Jack and Carol served as West Central District Presidents in 1974-75 and held several other offices. Jack is a member of Callerlab, and belonged to Western Missouri Callers' Association and the Mid-Missouri Callers' Association. He regularly attends District Dances and Missouri State Festivals, calling, providing the sound, MC'ing and doing the scheduling for many of them. Jack was Master of Ceremonies at the 40th State Dance held in Jefferson City and hosted by West Central District.

Jack and Carol have been married forty-eight years and have four children and twelve grandchildren. In their spare time they enjoy playing golf and traveling.