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University of Kansas - Jayhawks |
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The History of the Jayhawk
Mascots are believed to bring good luck, especially to athletic teams. Just about every college and university
claims a mascot. The University of Kansas is home to the Jayhawk, a mythical bird with a fascinating history.
The origin of the Jayhawk is rooted in the historic struggles of Kansas settlers. The term "Jayhawk" was probably coined around
1848. Accounts of its use appeared from Illinois to Texas and in that year, a party of pioneers crossing what is now Nebraska,
called themselves "The Jayhawkers of '49". The name combines two birds--the blue jay, a noisy, quarrelsome thing known to rob
other nests, and the sparrow hawk, a quiet, stealthy hunter. The message here: Don't turn your back on this bird.
During the 1850's, the Kansas Territory was filled with such Jayhawks. The area was a battleground between those wanting a state in
which slavery would be legal and abolitionists committed to a free state. The opposing factions looted, sacked, rustled cattle,
stole horses, and otherwise attacked each other's settlements. For a time, ruffians on both sides were called Jayhawkers. But
the name stuck to the 'free staters' when Kansas was admitted as a free state in 1861. Lawrence, where KU would be founded, was
a free state stronghold.
During the Civil War, the Jayhawk's ruffian image gave way to patriotic symbol. Kansas Governor Charles Robinson raised a regiment
called the Independent Mounted Kansas Jayhawks. By war's end, Jayhawks were synonymous with the impassioned people who made Kansas
a Free State. In 1886, the Jayhawk appeared in a cheer--the famous Rock Chalk Chant. And when KU football players first took the
field in 1890, it seemed only natural to call them Jayhawkers.
In the 1960s, the Jayhawk went 3-D when the KU Alumni Association provided a mascot costume. Welcome, Big Jay. In 1971, during
half-time of Homecoming, a huge egg was hauled out to the 50-yard line, and fans witnessed the hatching of Big Jay's companion,
Baby Jay. Today you'll find several Jayhawks on the Lawrence campus. A piece of birdlike iconography on Dyche Hall, erected in
1901, looks suspiciously like a Jayhawk. In front of Strong Hall perches a large Jayhawk, a statue with sleek, modern lines, gift
of the Class of 1956. Another, a striding, feathered bronze bird, greets visitors to the Adams Alumni Center.
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