The finest dance hall on that side of the river was the Prom Ballroom. The St. Paul institution got off to a good start when it opened with a performance by Glenn Miller in 1941. The Prom played host to all sorts over the years. Count Basie, Buddy Holly, Lawrence Welk, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash and the Big Bopper all brought their acts to the famed University avenue venue.The Prom was famous for a 9,000 square feet of hard maple flooring ringed by cozy booths and tables. The ballroom remained popular well into the 1970’s, but the business relied on catering and when that began to move offsite the place was put up for sale. Prom went out with a bnag. On April 17, 1987 a final performance featuring Cab Calloway, Ted Unseth’s American Classic Jazz Orchestra, Shirley Witherspoon and Prudence Johnson was emceed by Leigh Kamman. The building was torn down a few weeks later.
