While a departure from the usual topics of my “Academic Trivia” posts, this one was just too good for me to pass up! I was recently reading Professor Brandon Brown’s blog on the John Lo Shiavo, S.J. Center for Science and Innovation (you can check it out here: http://heartofcampus.wordpress.com/) where he alluded to the fact that the Don has not always been USF’s mascot. I questioned Brandon futher on this interesting tidbit of USF lore, and he passed on the following information to me, courtesy of Dr. Alan Ziajka, Director of Institutional Research.
Up until 1931, we were known as the San Francisco “Grey Fog.” Can you believe it? I wonder if we had an actual mascot and, if so, what it looked like? If anyone out there has a picture, do send! In any case, back to our story. I am quoting directly from Dr. Ziajka here.
“In November 1931, USF’s student body president, George Ososke, received a letter from the San Francisco Junior Chamber of Commerce critical of the university’s use of the term ‘Grey Fog’ to designate its athletic teams. The Junior Chamber of Commerce felt that the name did not give a positive image to the city and potentially hurt advertising. The Foghorn published a series of letters addressing the issue of a possible name change for the athletic teams, followed by a contest to come up with a new name. Student interest in the contest for a new name for the athletic teams was minimal and only a few names were submitted, including Vigilantes, Golden Gaters, Seagulls, Seals, and Sea Lions. These and other possible names were voted on by a committee composed of four undergraduates, four alumni, and four administrators, selected by Father President Edward Whelan, S.J. In January 1932, The Foghorn announced the new name for the university’s athletic teams: ‘the Dons.’ Jack Rhode, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, and sports editor for The Foghorn, had the honor of having his suggestion chosen as the official athletic nickname for the university, replacing the Grey Fog.”
Isn’t that a great piece of trivia? Here’s more. Last year, my little nephew Ben came to visit and found the Don doll that I have at home, which he played with throughout his visit. He liked it so much that I told him I would take him to the USF Bookstore to buy a Don of his own. When I went there, I couldn’t find a Don, so I asked a bookstore employee where they were. He told me that the bookstore had to stop selling the Don doll because the Zorro people said that he clearly wasn’t the Don, but was obviously Zorro, and that they would sue unless they stopped selling them! Ben then thought that his Uncle Kevin would give him our Don doll, but Kevin, an avid collector, wouldn’t let go of it because it is evidently rare now! Here’s the Don doll of which I speak:
The Don
Special thanks to Brandon Brown and Alan Ziajka for this interesting information from USF’s history! You can read more USF history in Legacy and Promise: 150 Years of Jesuit Education at the University of San Francisco by Alan Ziajka, available at the USF Bookstore.
I happen to love our mascot, The Don (in spite of some of the negative connotations)… do you?
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