From Pirate to Wolf: The Evolution of the Wright State University Mascot
Wright State University, like many institutions, has a rich history of athletic branding and a mascot that embodies its spirit. The evolution of the Wright State mascot, from its initial pirate representation to the current Rowdy Raider wolf, reflects the university's growth and changing identity.
The Importance of Branding in Athletics
University athletic programs understand the importance of a strong and consistent brand. All Wright State University athletics marks are registered trademarks and must be used in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the brandbook. Athletics marks are restricted to athletics-related marketing and communications. The Wright State University Athletics logo is the primary representation of the brand identity and the main identifier for Athletics. The full-color logo should be used whenever possible. Wright State University Athletics has secondary marks that add variety while still remaining consistent with the brand. This is an alternative mark that should be used with either as separate Wright State wordmark or text, if possible. The youth mark is used primarily for promotion of athletics-related youth events and merchandise. This mark is used to promote the Wright State Athletics’ priorities as they relate to its student-athletes.
Consistent use of approved artwork is critical to maintaining the integrity of the Athletics brand identity. Clear space must be maintained around all marks to ensure legibility, specifically an amount equal to the height of the red “W”. Colors of the logo or text within the lockup should not be altered, and one-color logos and wordmarks should only be used within the defined palette. The Rowdy wolf head mark must always be accompanied by "Wright State University" or "Wright State" on any item or publication.
Early Days: The Raider and the Pirate
In 1971, a student contest determined that Wright State's colors would be hunter green and gold, and its athletic teams would be called the Raiders. Early representations of the mascot depicted a pirate with a bandana and an eye patch. However, this image raised concerns, with some feeling that the mascot shouldn't represent a specific gender or cultural heritage.
The Shift to Rowdy Raider
In 1996, a marketing firm was hired to update Rowdy, aiming to replace the Viking with an animal that could be considered a raider. The Viking Rowdy was officially retired the following year. The current version of Rowdy Raider, the gray and white wolf, was unveiled in 2007.
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Rowdy's Role on Campus and in the Community
In recent years, Rowdy's presence has expanded beyond sporting events, with appearances at various functions around campus and throughout the community.
Wright State Athletics: More Than Just Mascots
Wright State University has seen its share of athletic achievements. Some of Wright State’s NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic teams have found moments to shine on the national stage. Perhaps Wright State’s most perennially successful team, however, is not even funded by the university. The men and women’s teams are typically among the nation’s top 10 teams in regular-season rankings by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) team ranking system and collegebowling.com. The women have qualified for the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships six of the last seven years and reached the semifinals of the 2013 national tournament.
Wright State University: A History of Growth and Support
As colleges and universities go, Wright State is a young institution. The rise of the Baby Boom generation was being felt everywhere, and particularly so in Dayton. The metro area had a population of about 295,000 in 1940, but that swelled to 400,000 by 1960 and 540,000 by 1968. Growth was everywhere, and the people of Dayton wanted some of that for their hometown.
Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes was very much an infrastructure man and during his time in office worked to increase the state’s transportation networks, parks and recreation facilities, and colleges. He wanted a public college to be within thirty miles of every Ohioan. Regular readers of this blog may recall in my post on Jackson State Community College, that during the same time frame, the state of Tennessee made the pledge to locate a public college within fifty miles of its citizenry.
The university opened with great fanfare on September 8, 1964. Although still in its embryonic phase, 3,203 students were enrolled that fall. Given that the university was brand new and had use of only one purpose-built structure, people flocked to enroll. They were greeted by fifty-five faculty. Among them was C. Dewitt Hardy who joined the university in 1963 and aided in its development and launch. The first faculty member to be hire, Hardy would stay at Wright until his retirement in 1976. In 1965, a level of independence was achieved from Miami and Ohio State when the legislature gave the institution its own Advisory Committee, a precursor to a formal board of regents. The state determined that full independence would be granted when the institution's enrollment hit 5,000 but not before July 1, 1967. Wright State would hit that number quickly and on October 1, 1967 became a fully independent institution.
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Today, Wright State has over 10,200 students on the campus in Dayton and in excess of another 1,200 on off-site campuses. Its endowment is pushing $100 million and they over 1,100 teaching faculty. Through good times and bad, the university has grown into a comprehensive research university.
Campus Landmarks
The Student Union opened in 1969. It was initially called the University Center. The former is by far the common name for student centers, but I prefer the latter simply because that was the name we used during my time as a student at the University of Tennessee. Like Wright State, Tennessee now refers to its student center as a student union. Part of the current Student Union is the former James A. Rhodes Physical Education Building completed in 1973. The Physical Education Building was designed by the Columbus, Ohio-based firm Brubaker and Brand and is to the southeast of the original portion of building. It was combined with the University Center via an addition added in 1994. Today, the union has 308,000 square feet of space. The Joshi Center has some 48,000 square feet of space across its four floors. It is named in honor of former Wright State professor Krishan Joshi and his wife. Joshi taught mathematics at the university.
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