Colonel Ebirt

Colonel Ebirt
Colonel Ebirt giving a 'thumbs up' prior to a Tribe football game.
University	The College of William & Mary
Conference	CAA
Description	Green and Gold Frog
Origin of name	"Tribe" spelled backwards
First seen	2001-2005

Colonel Ebirt was the unofficial school mascot for The College of William & Mary from 2001–2005. ^[1] A green and gold frog that donned a tri-corner hat, Colonel Ebirt was originally used as a promotional tool for Colonial Williamsburg. It became involved with the College athletics program when someone from the William & Mary gymnastics program volunteered to wear the costume.^[1] "Ebirt" is Tribe spelled backwards (also, note that "ebirt" is analogous to the more commonly heard frog call "ribit"), and "Colonel" comes from the school's historical and geographical ties to Williamsburg, Virginia, specifically that of Colonial Williamsburg.^[2]^[3]

The athletic department decided to "retire" Ebirt upon the conclusion of the 2005–06 school year.^[4] On April 6th, 2010, William and Mary announced that their mascot to replace Ebirt was a griffin.

While the common mythology at William & Mary at the time of Ebirt's reign was that it was simply 'an asexual amorphous green blob', the mascot of a green and gold frog was actually chosen to raise awareness of the threatened/endangered status of many of the world's species, while simultaneously highlighting the official school colors.

References and notes

↑ 1.0 1.1 "Colonel Ebirt is No More". DoG Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
↑ Ed Williams (June 22, 2009), "Wanted: William and Mary mascot. Got an idea?", The Virginian-Pilot
↑ "Williamsburg, Virginia", USA Today, 23 April 2007
↑ Since Colonel Ebirt was never an official mascot, the term "retire" is used loosely.

External links

Interview with the Colonel Ebirt costume wearers

College of William & Mary

Academics	Affiliate institutions: Richard Bland College Schools: Mason School of Business School of Arts and Sciences School of Education Law School Virginia Institute of Marine Science Programs: Center for Gifted Education Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy Other: Brigham–Kanner Property Rights Conference / Prize Honor code Institute of Bill of Rights Law Phi Beta Kappa Society Public Ivy Scandal of 1951

Athletics	Sports: Football (Capital Cup) Men's basketball Men's soccer Women's soccer Baseball Facilities: Albert–Daly Field Blow Gymnasium Busch Field Jimmye Laycock Football Center Millie West Tennis Facility Kaplan Arena at William & Mary Hall McCormack–Nagelsen Tennis Center Plumeri Park Walter J. Zable Stadium at Cary Field Related: Colonial Athletic Association Griffin Pep Band Tribe Fight Song

Campus	Alan B. Miller Hall Alumni House Brafferton Crim Dell bridge Earl Gregg Swem Library Henry C. Wolf Law Library Integrated Science Center Mason School of Business Library Muscarelle Museum of Art Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall Sunken Garden William J. Hargis, Jr. Library Wren Building

History	History Firsts Colonial Colleges Matthew Whaley School Christopher Newport University Old Dominion University The Colleges of William & Mary Priorities of the College

People	Notable alumni Presidents Chancellors King William III & Queen Mary II Commencement speakers

Student life	American Parliamentary Debate Association Bus transportation The Gentlemen of the College Greek life Our Alma Mater Publications (DoG Street Journal; Flat Hat; Virginia Informer; William and Mary Quarterly) Secret societies (7 Society; Bishop James Madison Society; Flat Hat Club; Wren Society) Student Assembly WCWM 90.9 FM WMTV

Misc.	Ash Lawn–Highland City of Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg I Am the College Royal Hospital School SS William and Mary Victory

Founded: 1693 — Students: 7,892 — Endowment: $698 million

William & Mary Tribe football

Venues	Zable Stadium (1935–present) Jimmye Laycock Football Center (practice)

Bowls & rivalries	Delaware James Madison Richmond VMI Epson Ivy Bowl

Culture & lore	Griffin Colonel Ebirt Iron Indians "12th Man Tackle" Scandal of 1951 "Tribe Fight Song" William & Mary Pep Band

People	Head coaches NFL draftees

Seasons	1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

William & Mary Tribe men's basketball

Venues	Blow Gymnasium (1925–1971) Kaplan Arena at William & Mary Hall (1971–present)

Culture & lore	Records Retired jerseys Hershberger Award hoax Griffin Colonel Ebirt Scandal of 1951

People	Head coaches

Seasons	1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16

Colonel Ebirt

See also

References and notes

External links