Smokey the Cannon is a replica

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

that has served as part of the pageantry of college football games at the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,07 ...

since 1953. Smokey the Cannon is owned and operated by the

Texas Cowboys The Texas Cowboys is an honorary student organization at the University of Texas that is currently suspended due to hazing violations. The organization was founded in 1922 by Arno Nowotny and Bill McGill, with the purpose of serving the University ...

(an honorary men’s service organization at Texas) and is stationed in the left corner of the south endzone at

Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium (formerly War Memorial Stadium, Memorial Stadium, and Texas Memorial Stadium), located in Austin, Texas, on the campus of the University of Texas, has been home to the Longhorns football team since 1924. The st ...

during every

Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...

home football game. After each football season, Smokey the Cannon is generally displayed in the Red McCombs Red Zone atrium for the spring semester. Smokey the Cannon is shot off at every

score, kick-off, end of quarter, and most importantly, it is fired off after the world-famous college school song, "

The Eyes of Texas "The Eyes of Texas" is the school spirit song of the University of Texas at Austin. It is set to the tune of " I've Been Working on the Railroad". Students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the university sing the song at Texas Longhorns sports g ...

" at the conclusion of every Texas football game. In addition to all home football games, Smokey the Cannon is present at the annual Texas vs. Oklahoma

Red River Rivalry The Oklahoma–Texas football rivalry is a college football rivalry game between border rivals Oklahoma and Texas. The two teams first played each other in 1900, and the rivalry has been renewed annually and uninterrupted since 1929 for a tot ...

game in Dallas, Texas every October, as well as at other select football games outside of

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

(barring local and stadium permission). Recently, Smokey the Cannon was present at the 2011 Holiday Bowl, in which the

beat the Cal Golden Bears 21-10 on December 29, 2011; former Texas Cowboy Oldman, Blaine Irby caught 1 pass for 30 yards in the win. The Cannon has appeared at countless charity and volunteer events across the country and is maintained and transported by the Cannon Crew — a team of four Oldmen, voted on by the entire organization each spring. During the 2012 spring semester, "Smokey III" appeared at

Congregation Beth Yeshurun Congregation Beth Yeshurun is a Conservative synagogue in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1891 as Adath Yeshurun, it merged in Congregation Beth El in 1946, taking its current name. In 2002 Beth Yeshurun absorbed the membership of Shearith Israel o ...

Synagogue in Houston, Texas to honor the Berry family who lost two parents in a car accident in July 2011.

History

Originally, Smokey I was created by the University of Texas at Austin's mechanical engineering lab in 1953, in response to shotgun blasts often heard at the

. Two years later, Smokey I was modified in 1955 to shoot twin 10-gauge shotgun shells and the revision was renamed "Smokey II". "Smokey II" was used by the Texas Cowboys for over 30 years. The current version of the cannon, Smokey III, weighs 1,200 pounds and fires up to four blank 10-gauge shells at a time. Smokey III was built by Lupton Machine of Austin, out of the trunk of an

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

tree in 1988 and purchased by the Texas Cowboys Alumni Association for $15,000. Smokey III is transported in the Texas Cowboys’ trailer along with a wooden toolbox containing all necessary items to operate the cannon.

References

* * {{University of Texas at Austin, traditions Texas Longhorns

History

See also

References