![Cornell University Mascot in 1987](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Cornell_University_Mascot_in_1987.jpg)
Touchdown, or the ''
Big Red Bear'', is the unofficial mascot of
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
. The first mascot was a black bear introduced in 1915 by the Cornell University Athletic Association. Three more live bears over the course of approximately two decades also made appearances at Cornell until the live bear was replaced by costumed students some years later. Touchdown appears on the logo for
Cornell Athletics, and is represented in a statue erected outside Teagle Hall in 2015.
History
Touchdown I
The first mascot at Cornell was a black bear that the Cornell University Athletic Association (CUAA) acquired in the fall of 1915. The CUAA spent twenty-five dollars, excluding shipping costs, raised by the revenue from season ticket sales to purchase the bear. The bear was purchased after the manager of the football team received a letter from an animal trainer in
Old Town, Maine
Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,431 at the 2020 census. The city's developed area is chiefly located on the relatively large Marsh Island, though its boundaries extend beyond that. The island i ...
. This year also marked the first year Cornell football went undefeated, which led to fans believing that Touchdown was a good omen.
Touchdown appeared at all of the games played by the Cornell football team that year. At the games, Touchdown was tethered to a stepladder so that he could climb on the home sideline of the field. He also climbed a goal post before each game, which quickly became a tradition for the fans.
At the
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
game of 1915, Touchdown traveled with the team to
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...
. The night before the game, Touchdown was sleeping in a cage in the lobby of the Lenox Hotel, per request of the manager of the hotel. At four o'clock in the morning of the game, several Harvard students stole Touchdown by posing as caretakers of the bear giving Touchdown a routine morning walk.
Touchdown was found later that morning by Cornell's trainer who heard cries coming from Harvard's baseball cage. Touchdown was only retrieved, however, after a posse of Cornell athletic managers stole the keys to the cage from a Harvard janitor who refused to open it without orders from Harvard football manager.
The janitor was reprimanded by being locked in an office.
Later that day at the game, the Cornell football team defeated the Crimson, ending Harvard's thirty-game winning streak in football.
The next week, the football team took a trip to
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
before the big
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
game against the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
. At this point in the season, Touchdown had begun go into hibernation and was less vivacious than he was earlier in the season.
When Touchdown was woken to pose for pictures with the football team on a boardwalk at Atlantic City, he instead ran into the nearest door open. After running wild in a taffy shop, Touchdown escaped down a pier and jumped into the ocean.
Two football players, Booty Hunkin and Walt Lalley, used a life raft with no paddles to rescue Touchdown who was unable to swim. Touchdown walked back to the hotel alone.
Touchdown was deeper into the beginning stages of hibernation at the Thanksgiving Day football game. UPenn had brought either a
coyote
The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...
or a
husky
Husky is a general term for a dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies that mai ...
to the game, and walked it over to meet Touchdown right before the game started.
When Penn's mascot came close enough, Touchdown smacked it across the face and knocked it out.
Cornell went on to defeat Penn 24-9 during the game.
After the season was over, the football team had to make a decision about the fate of Touchdown. Although there was some talk about sending him to a zoo in Rome, the bear was eventually sent back to Old Town, Maine, where he lived the rest of his life.
Touchdown II
In 1916, Walt Lalley, now the team's manager, recruited a black bear cub from Maine to take the place of Touchdown I. Although Touchdown II represented Cornell on the sidelines for the latter part of the season, he was kept under close protection off the field to prevent another kidnapping attempt.
On the final game of the season, the students of University of Pennsylvania brought a bear of their own onto the sideline named "Jack Victory," who, along with the football team, stole the show from Touchdown and the Big Red, defeating Cornell 23–0. The Cornell team then abandoned Touchdown II on the field after the loss. He was then briefly adopted by Penn, and accompanied Penn's bear and the team to their
Rose Bowl match against the
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac-12 Conferenc ...
. The bear's whereabouts after trip are unknown.
Touchdown III
Due to
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
capturing the attention of Cornell's students and faculty, there was no mascot for the 1917 and 1918 football seasons.
Once campus life returned to normal in 1919, Montana-based Cornell alumnus R. H. Barney '17 donated a local bear for use as the football team's mascot. Dubbed Touchdown III, the bear's arrival at Cornell was notable enough to receive mention in the
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
.
The Cornell community's reception of Touchdown III was generally positive, although the mascot had powerful enemies. The ''
Cornell Daily Sun
''The Cornell Daily Sun'' is an independent daily newspaper published in Ithaca, New York by students at Cornell University and hired employees.
''The Sun'' features coverage of the university and its environs as well as stories from the Associa ...
'' reported that Touchdown III was "the admiration of the entire
ootballsquad, as well as the coaching staff," echoing the Ithaca community's general sentiment.
However, Cornell University Athletic Association head
Romeyn Berry Romeyn Berry (1881-1957) was an American sports administrator and author.
Nicknamed "Rym," Berry attended Cornell University, graduating in 1904 and earning a law degree in 1906. During his senior year, Berry was elected to the Sphinx Head Society ...
hated all bears, describing them as "disgusting . . . dangerous, ill-tempered, and unbelievably troublesome" and characterizing the original Touchdown as "hungry, mean, ill-bred, and dangerous." Thus, Berry was no fan of the new mascot.
During the 1919 football season, Touchdown III was involved in a few minor events on Cornell's campus. The week after the season began, Touchdown III broke free from his living quarters on
Schoellkopf Field
Schoellkopf Field is a 21,500-capacity stadium at Cornell University's Ithaca campus that opened in 1915 and is used for the Cornell Big Red football, sprint football and lacrosse teams. It is located just north of Cascadilla Creek on the southe ...
. Authorities and volunteers found the bear napping in a nearby grassy field, prompting a humorous ''Sun'' article entitled "Touchdown III Loses at Game of Hide and Seek."
Later on, Touchdown III led a parade of Cornell student demonstrators demanding higher salaries for professors. Touchdown III's involvement in this parade produced a classic photograph of the bear gnawing on a banner inscribed "I'm For Them Too."
Late in the season, the Cornell football team headed to New York City for a game against
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...
. Although the team stayed at the
Hotel Pennsylvania
The Hotel Pennsylvania was a historic hotel at 401 Seventh Avenue (15 Penn Plaza) in Manhattan, across the street from Pennsylvania Station and Madison Square Garden in New York City. Opened in 1919, it was once the largest hotel in the world. ...
, they rushed Touchdown III directly to the
Cornell Club
The Cornell Club of New York, usually referred to as The Cornell Club, is a private club in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Its membership is restricted to alumni and faculty of Cornell University, family of Cornellians, business associates of ...
on 44th Street, where a smoker for Cornell Alumni was taking place.
This is the last known location of Touchdown III. Although legend states that he was sent to a zoo in
Akron, Ohio
Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County, Ohio, Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 C ...
, Touchdown III's true fate is currently unknown.
The Bearless Years
After Touchdown III's departure in 1919, Cornell was left without a mascot for its football team. Cornell would not adopt a new mascot until 1939. This long period without a mascot can be at least partially attributed to bear-hating CUAA head
Romeyn Berry Romeyn Berry (1881-1957) was an American sports administrator and author.
Nicknamed "Rym," Berry attended Cornell University, graduating in 1904 and earning a law degree in 1906. During his senior year, Berry was elected to the Sphinx Head Society ...
, whose tenure lasted until 1935.
Some blame may also belong to
Gil Dobie
Robert Gilmour "Gloomy Gil" Dobie (January 21, 1878 – December 23, 1948) was an American football player and coach. Over a period of 33 years, he served as the head football coach at North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State ...
, Cornell's football coach from 1920 to 1935, whose no-nonsense approach had little room for wildlife distractions.
In fall of 1934, Cornell students decided to hold a pre-game party (or "Hop") before the Cornell vs. Dartmouth football game. At this Hop, Touchdown was revived as a life-sized painting. After Cornell won the football game, students attributed the victory to Touchdown's symbolic return.
After Dartmouth,
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
was Cornell's next opponent. In an attempt to replicate the Dartmouth game's result, three Cornell undergrads drove to
Burnet Park
Burnet Park is the largest park in Syracuse, New York, USA, covering an area of . It is located on the west end of the city, in the Far Westside, Syracuse, Far Westside in a neighborhood called Tipperary Hill.
History
Burnet Park is located on th ...
Zoo in Syracuse and rented a bear as a temporary mascot. After the bear immediately destroyed the undergrads' trailer, Cornell students were forced to make do with
Romeyn Berry Romeyn Berry (1881-1957) was an American sports administrator and author.
Nicknamed "Rym," Berry attended Cornell University, graduating in 1904 and earning a law degree in 1906. During his senior year, Berry was elected to the Sphinx Head Society ...
dressed in a fur coat as the mascot for the pre-game Penn rally.
However, the student movement to bring back a live bear mascot continued to gain steam. Students' desire for a new bear was echoed in the ''Sun'' the day after the Penn rally, further legitimizing growing pro-Touchdown sentiments.
Although students were adamant about bringing back Touchdown, they encountered significant opposition, mainly from Romeyn Berry. In a 1934 ''
Ithaca Journal
''The Ithaca Journal'' is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper published in Ithaca, New York. It is locally edited and printed in Johnson City, New York, and publishes Monday through Saturday. It has been owned by Gannett since 1912.
Publications
...
'' article, Berry rejects students' request for a bear, arguing that they would tire of a new Touchdown after about a week.
After stepping down from CUAA leadership in 1935, Berry penned a 1936 article in the ''Cornell Alumni News'' praising the fact that a bear had not been acquired for that year's football season. Even after his retirement, Berry harbored unchecked resentment for bears: his article referred to the previous Touchdown as a "disagreeable beast" characterized by a "fetid odor."
But with Berry relieved from his CUAA position, he was no longer a factor in Cornell's mascot-related decisions.
Touchdown IV
In 1935, James A. Lynah became the athletic director of the newly formed Department of Physical Education and Athletics.
Carl Snavely
Carl Gray "The Grey Fox" Snavely (July 30, 1894 – July 12, 1975) was an American football and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at Bucknell University (1927–1933), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1934–193 ...
took over as the football coach, and helped to guide the team to an extremely successful 1939 season. During the season, the "Cornell Daily Sun editorial board
..was a co-conspirator with the Press Club, the social journalistic society that brought
ouchdown IVto campus."
The Press Club purchased a female black bear cub from
Nashua, New Hampshire
Nashua is a city in southern New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester. Along with Manc ...
, and adopted the bear as its mascot, hoping that Cornell Football would follow their lead. But Lynah forbid Touchdown IV from appearing at any football games.
The Cornell Daily Sun's editorial board wrote extensively throughout the 1939 season to attempt to sway Lynah. Touchdown IV's supporters included the
Sigma Delta Chi
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, letter ...
fraternity, and
Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...
Athletics, who delighted at the opportunity to mock Cornell for having a female bear as their mascot.
Before Cornell's game with the undefeated
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree ...
, a letter appeared in the Cornell Daily Sun from the
Cornell Club
The Cornell Club of New York, usually referred to as The Cornell Club, is a private club in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Its membership is restricted to alumni and faculty of Cornell University, family of Cornellians, business associates of ...
of Cleveland, inviting Touchdown to the contest, logistics to be handled by the club. Touchdown never appeared on the field, but Cornell came from behind to stun the Buckeyes and end their undefeated season. During the post-game festivities, Touchdown was let loose in a Cleveland night club and had to be recaptured by the Cleveland Animal Protection League. Her activities earned Touchdown an
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
write-up which circulated in hundreds of newspapers across the country.
Touchdown IV was subsequently released into the wild of Pennsylvania, and the Cornell Big Red finished the season 8-0 and ranked fourth in the country.
Touchdown costumes
Starting in the 1970s, with Cornell student Ron Winarick ’78, the tradition has been for Touchdown to be represented by a student wearing a bear suit.
In 2005, the Big Red Bears was founded as a student organization to recruit multiple mascots after several years of individual mascots.
In 2011, the Cornell Class of 1970 gifted $22,500 to the club with the intention of a $1,000 yearly allowance for cleaning and repairing the suits as well as saving towards new suits. The Class of 1970 president, Connie Ferris Meyer, commented "We felt that the Big Red Bears Gift and Memorial was a lively, fun, and ongoing way to honor the Class of '70, our classmates who have passed on, and the University community."
The Big Red Bears acquired their third suit in 2017.
The costumed Touchdown attends various Cornell events on and off campus.
Students audition to wear the bear suit annually.
Students may only wear the suit for 45-minute periods at a time, and adopt an exaggerated "bear walk."
Non-official status
In fall of 2011 Geoffrey Block, representative on the Student Assembly, tried to petition to have "Touchdown" recognized as the official mascot at Cornell University. The request was denied.
Touchdown statue
![Touchdown statue](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Touchdown_statue.jpg)
On May 4, 2006, Alon Yishai Mass ‘08 (Treasurer, Cornell University Class Council of 2008; Member, Student Assembly Appropriations Committee) and Brian Luttrell Hughes ‘07 (President, Mascot, The Big Red Bears) proposed a resolution to the Cornell Student Assembly entitled ''"R. 33 Resolution Regarding The Creation of a Bear Sculpture Designed to Enhance Pride and Unity on Campus'
Cornell Student Assembly Minute Notes - May 4, 2006.
The resolution was unanimously passed by the Student Assembly; Alon Mass has been actively involved in the creation of such a statue ever since.
Since then, several alumni including John Foote '74, the author of ''Touchdown: The Story of the Cornell Bear'' and Joseph Thankhauser have made progression on honoring the lineage of Touchdown by adopting a monumental statue that would highlight all four black bears. University officials supported the idea and the statue was erected outside Teagle Hall near Schoellkopf Field and dedicated prior to the 2015 homecoming game.
See also
*
List of individual bears
The following is a list of individual bears which garnered national or worldwide attention:
Actors
* Bart the Bear, a male Alaskan Kodiak bear, played the leading role in the 1988 wilderness drama, ''The Bear (1988 film), The Bear''. Between 1980 ...
References
[Foote, John H. ''Touchdown: The Story of the Cornell Bear.'' Ithaca: Cornell University, 2008. Print. ]
External links
*
*
{{Cornell Big Red football navbox
College mascots in the United States
Bear mascots
Cornell Big Red
Individual bears