A Century of Change: The Evolving Mascots of Marquette University
Marquette University, a private Jesuit research university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has a rich history spanning over 145 years. An integral part of the university's identity has been its mascots and nicknames, which have evolved significantly over time, reflecting changing student sentiments, societal values, and university priorities. These changes have often been accompanied by controversy, debate, and, ultimately, a reflection of the Marquette community's spirit. This article explores the history of Marquette's mascots, from its early informal nicknames to the present-day Golden Eagle.
Early Days: From Colors to Hilltoppers
In 1881, Marquette College was founded, later becoming a university in 1907. It wasn't long before the need for a unifying symbol emerged. As Marquette’s football team gained prominence, students began to show their support by wearing blue and gold, the university's official colors. This naturally led to the adoption of "Blue and Gold" as an informal nickname. It was a nickname created by the students, since the chants of Blue and Gold could be heard echoing throughout the stadium during every sporting event.
Around the 1910s, another unofficial nickname, "The Hilltoppers," gained popularity. This name was inspired by the location of Marquette's first building, which stood on a hill between North 10th and State streets. The name became so popular that Marquette trustees and the Marquette Student Government joined together and decided to make it the first official nickname of Marquette University.
The Golden Avalanche: A Football Era
The "Golden Avalanche" emerged as a prominent nickname, particularly for the football team, during the early 20th century. This nickname was coined in 1923 by a New York sportswriter after Marquette's football team secured victories over Boston College and the University of Detroit. The team's gold uniforms further solidified the association with the "Golden Avalanche." The Golden Avalanche is how sports writers at that time would describe the Marquette football team as their golden helmets charged down the field at their opponents. This nickname began to appear in Marquette yearbooks and throughout editions of The Marquette Tribune before catching popularity with the student body. While the "Golden Avalanche" nickname faded from widespread use around 1937, it represents a distinct era in Marquette's athletic history.
The Warrior Era: Identity and Controversy
In 1954, the university officially adopted the "Warrior" as its mascot. According to a Student Senate report, they settled on the Warrior for three reasons: First, the Rev. Jacques Marquette hired Native Americans extensively as guides, teachers, counselors and as pupils in his travels. Secondly, there is a Native American on the official seal of the University. Finally, the Warrior name fit in well with other Milwaukee team names. Interestingly enough, the Milwaukee Hawks basketball team moved to St. Furthermore, the University prided itself on having a history that went hand in hand with Indian lore.
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The "Warrior" era, while initially embraced, soon became a source of controversy. In 1961, Marquette’s Student Senate started a campus-wide competition called “Name the Warrior.” They filed through hundreds of name suggestions until one lucky student’s idea was picked as the winner and that student took home a whopping prize of $5. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a Marquette cheerleader turned to his sister, a non-Marquette student, to help him create the Willie Wampum mascot. Then on Feb. 24, 1961, Willie Wampum made his first appearance at a Marquette basketball game against Duke University without any approval from the university.
The caricature, named Willie Wampum, was soon deemed offensive. Controversy soon broke out and the Rev. James Groppi publicly announced that Willie Wampum was an offensive, degrading and embarrassing representation of Marquette. Native American students rallied behind Groppi and asked that Willie Wampum retire. According to The Marquette Tribune, the Student Senate agreed with a minority of students to have the mascot retire. The debate continued as students felt that the Student Senate should best represent the wishes of the majority of the campus, not the minority.
After losing their precious Willie Wampum, Marquette students decided to take further action to ensure that they would keep the Warrior as their school mascot. The Student Senate worked alongside Native American groups and students to create an outfit for their new mascot. After a year of constructing an appropriate outfit, the First Warrior made his debut appearance at a Marquette basketball game dressed in his new flashy attire. “The First Warrior would always perform an Indian dance on the court before the game or during halftime,” says Tony Kennedy, Marquette alumnus and past editor of the Marquette Tribune. “It wasn’t wildly popular with the student body, and there was a scarcity of candidates to do the job,” Kennedy says.
Bleuteaux: An Unlikely Mascot
As the First Warrior began to fade, Marquette decided once again that it would be in the best interest of the university to change its mascot. In the end, the votes came out in favor of the Bleuteaux. Bleuteaux was a muppet-like creature that was covered in blue fur, had a short, stumpy trunk and large, goofy eyes.
The Golden Eagles: A New Era
Marquette was officially at a standpoint in the beginning of 1993. Bleuteaux was gone, and the Warrior was still a prominent nickname and mascot for Marquette. Then after 18 months of committee introspection, Marquette officials announced that they would scrap the Warrior completely due to it being disrespectful to American Indians. The outrage continued as Marquette alumni and students rallied together to protect their beloved mascot that had represented their school for almost 50 years. It came as a shock to many that despite the student body’s efforts to keep the Warrior, Marquette officials continued to ask input from students, alumni and faculty on what the new mascot should be. The winner was obvious. “When the team name changed to the Golden Eagles, fellow alumni that I knew didn’t choke it down very gracefully. The icon was dumped and the college basketball junkies you knew who came from rival schools were happy to rub it in,” Kennedy says.
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Fast forward ten years to fall of 2004, when the Marquette student body surprised everyone as they once again attempted to bring back the Warrior. They conducted a university-sponsored survey that asked students if they felt the Golden Eagle was a boring mascot and if they would be in favor of returning to the Warrior. The results showed that a strong majority of students wanted to return to the Warrior, and Marquette’s Board of Trustees met to discuss the possibility of changing the University’s mascot. Interim university President the Rev. Robert A. The Board of Trustees had an emergency meeting and decided to conduct yet another student voting process allowing the students to pick their new mascot. To much surprise, the Golden Eagle came in first place after the votes were tallied. The Hilltoppers came in second and the Warrior was not allowed as an option for the new mascot. This brought about the end of the Marquette Gold making it the shortest-lived mascot in Marquette history.
Iggy: Embodiment of School Spirit
The Golden Eagle continues as the present day mascot of Marquette University. The eagle head can be seen throughout the campus on posters, school supplies and everyday student attire. “In my opinion, I love our Golden Eagle,” says Kelsey Hau, a junior in the College of Communication. “My parents and grandparents both went to Marquette, and while they still seem to have a hard time letting that era go, I think the Golden Eagle fits us well. It may not seem connected to our school or Milwaukee, but I still think it is a great mascot for all ages. During the summer of 2020, Marquette University finally gave its mascot, the Golden Eagle, an official name: Iggy, after St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus. Today, Iggy the Golden Eagle attends sports games and student events embodying Marquette’s school spirit.
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