Willie the Wildcat (Kansas State)

Willie the Wildcat
Willie the Wildcat impresses a young Wildcat fan
University	Kansas State University
Conference	Big 12
Description	A student bedecked in an oversized Wildcat head
First seen	1947
Website	Official Site

Willie the Wildcat is the official mascot for the Kansas State University Wildcats.

History

Kansas State's athletic teams first acquired the nickname "Aggies," during the start of the 20th century. This name lives on in the entertainment district that abuts the University, Aggieville.^[1]

Adoption of the nickname

• 1906-1909: a black Labrador named Boscoe represented K-State at baseball and football games.
• 1915: Prior to the football season, new coach John Bender gave his squad the nickname "Wildcats."
• 1917: Under Coach Z.G. Clevenger the school teams became known as the "Aggies" or "Farmers."^[1]
• 1920: Coach Charles Bachman took over the football program, again renaming the team the "Wildcats." This time the nickname stuck.
• 1922-1978: A real bobcat named Touchdown (I-XI), served as team mascot at games. "Touchdown" could be found at Sunset Zoo in Manhattan until the 1980s.^[2][3] Touchdown I was captured in Idaho and donated to K.S.A.C. The animal did not attend a college football game; it died from injuries from fighting a porcupine before it was shipped to Manhattan. Touchdown II soon replaced TD I and was at K-State for 14 years.^[4]

Costumed Mascot

Willie the Wildcat at a baseball game

The first costumed Willie mascot appeared in 1947. Willie has changed many times, and currently, has an appearance that is heavily influenced by the team's Powercat logo.

• 1947: K-State's first costumed mascot, "Sparky," appeared at the September football game against Oklahoma A&M. This was by Manhattan High student Andrea Simmons Andersen during halftime performing gymnastics for the crowd in a red-brown wildcat costume with black stripes and a tail. Lack of winning games resulted in fans replacing the young girl with a college student. She was to be the only female to be a K-State mascot. (First Generation)
• 1960s: Fraternity members took responsibility of wearing the Willie Wildcat costume and cheering at games. The original K-State Willie costume, which debuted in 1964, was purple in color with large ears that somewhat resembled Mickey Mouse. (Second Generation)^[5]
• 1967-1980: Sculptor Jim Hagan created a new, "meaner-looking" Willie head with coyote and wolf hair. (Third Generation)
• 1980-1993: A second Willie head made in 1967 by Jim Hagan is used.
• 1985: The "beefed-up" Willie appeared while still using third generation style head. (Fourth Generation)
• 1994-1996: Last pre-Powercat Willie (Fifth Generation)

Powercat Logo

In 1989, the Powercat logo was introduced by football coach Bill Snyder, wanting a new logo for his team. Tom Bookwalter, a Kansas native and K-State art professor, created the logo.

In 1997, the current "21st Century" Willie was created. Willie has gray fur, with two white stripes to resemble the Powercat logo. This head weighs eleven pounds. Willie can be seen at various K-State sporting events, often dressed as an athlete. (Sixth Generation)

Personality

The student inside the mascot costume (whose identity is kept secret) changes every few years, and the persona of Willie has remained the same throughout.^[6] Willie has been known to crowd surf and he also does one push-up for each point on the board for K-State when the Wildcats score a touchdown or make a field goal.

References

Links to related articles
Kansas State University Academics College of Agriculture College of Architecture, Planning and Design College of Arts and Sciences College of Business Administration College of Education College of Engineering College of Human Ecology College of Veterinary Medicine School of Journalism and Mass Communications Branch campuses Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus (Salina) K-State Olathe (Olathe) Buildings Anderson Hall Hale Library Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art Athletics Big 12 Conference Kansas State Wildcats Football Men's Basketball Women's Basketball Baseball Volleyball KSU Marching Band Sunflower Showdown Governor's Cup Iowa State–Kansas State football rivalry Facilities Bill Snyder Family Stadium Bramlage Coliseum Ahearn Field House Tointon Family Stadium Memorial Stadium Colbert Hills Culture Notable people Landon Lecture Series Willie the Wildcat Aggieville Wildcat Victory Wabash Cannonball Alma Mater Kansas Wildcats (march) Media The Collegian Royal Purple KKSU (AM) KSDB (FM) KKSU-LP Student life K-State Student Union Housing Boyd Hall Davenport Building Derby Dining Center Ford Hall Goodnow Hall Haymaker Hall Jardine Terrace Apartments Kramer Food Center Marlatt Hall Moore Hall Pittman Building Putnam Hall Van Zile Hall West Hall History Blue Mont Central College Land-grant university Joseph Denison List of oldest buildings on Kansas colleges and universities Established: 1863 – Endowment: $488.9 million – Students: 23,779 (Fall 2016) Kansas State Wildcats football Venues Ahearn Field (1911–1921) Memorial Stadium (1922–1967) Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium (1968–present) Bowls & rivalries Bowl games Iowa State Kansas: Sunflower Showdown (Governor's Cup) Culture & lore Willie the Wildcat "Wildcat Victory" "Wabash Cannonball" Marching band Timeline of football in Kansas Aggieville riots 1939 Nebraska game People Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders Seasons 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 2016 Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball Venues Manhattan YMCA (1902–1911) Nichols Hall (1911–1950) Ahearn Field House (1950–1988) Bramlage Coliseum (1988–present) Rivalries Kansas (results) Culture & lore History Willie the Wildcat "Wabash Cannonball" Wildcat Victory The Pride of Wildcat Land People Head coaches Honored players Seasons 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 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 2016–17 NCAA Final Four appearances in italics Mascots of the Big 12 Conference Judge and Bruiser (Baylor) Cy the Cardinal (Iowa State) Big Jay / Baby Jay / Centennial Jay (Kansas) Willie the Wildcat (Kansas State) Sooner Schooner / Boomer and Sooner (Oklahoma) Pistol Pete / Bullet (Oklahoma State) Bevo / Hook 'em (Texas) Super Frog (TCU) The Masked Rider / Raider Red (Texas Tech) Mountaineer (West Virginia)