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The Bear Nickname and Mascot
Although Baylor adopted "Bears" as its official nickname in 1914, it was not until the 1920s that a real bear mascot
came to the University. The first live bear was made available by the troops of the 107th Engineers, a unit of the 32nd Infantry Division
stationed at Camp MacArthur in Waco during World War I.
The bear, named Ted, made his first appearance at the 1917 Baylor-Texas A&M football game, and when the unit got its orders to move
on, the bear was left in the hands of the Baylor athletic department. Since then, the use of bears at Baylor football and basketball
games has become as much a fixture as the players, cheerleaders and bands.
A series of bears have served as Baylor's mascot, but perhaps the best-known was Joe College, who came to Baylor through the work
of Bill Boyd, then a Baylor student. Boyd bought the bear from a zoo that went broke at the Cotton Palace in Waco. He then approached
Baylor's president, Pat Neff, and offered to take care of the bear in exchange for free tuition. Neff accepted the deal and the
tradition of live bears as mascots has continued since.
In 1974, the student body voted to name all the bears "Judge" followed by a surname in honor of the university's namesake, Judge
R.E.B. Baylor. Baylor's current mascots are "Joy," named in honor of the wife of President Emeritus (and former Chancellor)
Herbert H. Reynolds, and the newest mascot, "Lady" named after Sue Sloan, wife of then-President Dr. Robert B. Sloan Jr.
he Baylor Spirit Squads
Support the athletic teams at Baylor University by generating
crowd enthusiasm, promoting school spirit, and supporting our athletes throughout the year. You can find the
Baylor University Spirit Squad members at all home and away football games, home volleyball games, as well as
all men's and woman's home basketball games.
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