TBT in the Archives 11/5/15: Mascot History

Many of you are familiar with Big Red, the red-tailed hawk that radiates school spirit at Shippensburg sporting events. But did you know that Big Red is a relatively new mascot? During the institution's first 80 years, Ship did not have a mascot. Sports teams were referred to as the "Red Raiders" because they wore red uniforms. That changed in the early 1950s when Coach Vinton Rambo began to correlate the "Red Raider" nickname with representations of Native American imagery. The Red Raider mascot that appeared at sporting events was an individual dressed in red face paint and a war bonnet (sometimes called a headdress).

Red Raider t-shirts at a 1983 football game

This window art shows the Red Raider logo alongside "Ship is it!" and "Go Bid Red" slogans (date unknown).

The use of the Red Raider mascot was discontinued in the early 1990s. In 1991, President Anthony Ceddia implemented a university-wide "Policy on Human Understanding," which was intended to "improve the university's climate in relationship to multiculturalism, diversity, and human understanding." In response, the university's logo was changed to a ship during the 1993-1994 academic year.

This plaque on the side of Heiges Field House was removed in the 1990s.

Many school and professional sports teams still use representations of Native American people and their cultures for their mascots and team names, and this continues to be a contentious issue. Just last month in California, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 30 to establish the "California Racial Mascots Act," which prohibits the use of the term "Redskins" as a team name, mascot, or nickname in California public schools.


Secondary Sources Consulted:
Robledo, Roberto M. "Governor Signs Bill Banning Use of Redskins Mascot." The Californian. Accessed November 4, 2015. www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/2015/10/11/governor-signs-bill-banning-use-redskins-mascot/73780980/