Pistol Pete (mascot)
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Pistol Pete is the athletics mascot of Oklahoma State University, New Mexico State University & The University of Wyoming. Pistol Pete is a student dressed in traditional cowboy attire with a headpiece resembling Frank Eaton. Pistol Pete has been the mascot for the Cowboys since 1923 and the mascot for the Aggies since the 1950's. However, the NMSU Aggies logo has been changed twice in the last two years after "Pete" lost his gun for security and other personal reasons. Now, Pistol Pete has his gun again! [1]
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[edit] History
From the 1890s on, Oklahoma A&M sports teams had been referred to as the Agriculturists or Aggies, the Farmers, and officially but unpopularly, the Tigers. By 1924 Charles Saulsberry, sports editor of the Oklahoma City Times, and other writers who regularly covered college events had begun to refer to Stillwater's teams as the A&M Cowboys. The Athletic Council authorized Athletic Director Edward C. Gallagher to have 2,000 balloons printed, "Oklahoma Aggies - Ride 'Em Cowboy" for sale at football games in 1926.
Around 1923, when Oklahoma A&M College was searching for a new mascot to replace their tiger (which had been copied, along with gold and black colors, from Princeton), a group of students saw Frank Eaton leading the Armistice Day Parade. He was approached to see if he would be interested in being the model for the new mascot, and he agreed. A likeness was drawn and began to be used on sweatshirts, stickers, etc. and a tradition was born. That caricature was the basis for what is used today as the official Oklahoma State University mascot. For thirty-five years, the crusty old cowboy was a living symbol of OSU, representing the colorful past of the area. As such, he would attend OSU athletic events, building dedications, etc., and sign autographs, pose for photographs and reminisce about the American Old West with anyone who would listen. In more recent years, the University of Wyoming and New Mexico State University began using variations of OSU's artwork as logos for their schools. To this day, his likeness is a visible reminder of the Old West to literally millions of people yearly as a symbol of colleges whose mascots pay homage to the cowboy.
However, it was not until 1958 that "Pistol Pete" was adopted as the school's mascot. The familiar caricature of "Pistol Pete" was officially sanctioned in 1984 by Oklahoma State University as a licensed symbol.
Each year, 10 to 15 OSU students try out for Pistol Pete. A panel of former "Petes" judge the tryouts and select the two best candidates based on an interview, a mime, and posing as mascot in different "game situations". The two who are selected split the approximately 500 appearances annually. These appearances include all athletic events, pep rallies, business openings, weddings,late friday nights, frat parties, birthday parties, and public school events.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Pistol Pete at OSU traditions
- Pistol Pete at OSU's Special Collections and University Archives
- Pistol Pete at New Mexico State
- Pistol Pete is Back!, University of Wyoming Athletics, photos of mascot
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