campus news and events

What's in a Mascot?

Deconstructing the Colby-Sawyer Charger

Thoughts of college bring certain symbols to mind: brick buildings, ceremonies and traditions like commencement, school songs, school colors and, of course, the mascot.

Of these symbols, the mascot is one of the most recognized and honored not just by the college community but also by rival institutions and the public. The appearance of a college mascot at sporting events is a time-honored tradition at colleges across the country, and Colby-Sawyer is no exception.

You may be most familiar with Colby-Sawyer's Charger, but this strapping horse was not the college's first mascot. During the Colby Junior College days, it was common (as at other women's colleges of the time) for each class to select its own mascot. In 1942, for example, Teddy was the senior class mascot, and Judy Sue was the junior class mascot. Both were present at Colby Recreational Association events and then became memories when the classes graduated.

It wasn't until the 1950s that the question of a college mascot became a serious concern. A front-page article in the April 1955 Kearsarge Beacon, the junior college's student newspaper, pointed out that the college lacked a mascot. The author noted that mascots had primarily been part of men's or coeducational institutions and listed Yale and Boston University as examples. The author argued that the mascot was more than a good luck charm; it was a symbol of the school itself and part of the institution's larger tradition. The author also asserted that women's colleges generally didn't have a mascot in the same sense that men's colleges did—they often had stuffed animals or a pet beagle that would be passed down from class to class—and Colby Junior College didn't even have that. The Beacon writer argued that a mascot would “provide another segment of tradition and school unity to the college. The expense would be at a minimum and the gain would be long lasting.”

To rectify this situation, the newspaper decided to hold a contest to select a college mascot. The contest rules were simple. Students in each residence hall were allowed to submit one entry, complete with a drawing of the mascot.

Entries were posted on a bulletin board in Colgate Hall. The vote was held, and on May 9, 1955, the newspaper announced that the Colby Junior College mascot was the kangaroo. The Down Under wonder was proposed by Pam Winder '56, Jean Crowell '56, Alice Taeffner '56 and Nancy Beyer '56 of Colgate Hall; they recommended that the kangaroo be blue with contrasting white to match the school colors. Production of stuffed animals and stickers was slated for the fall of 1955.

In the May 23 issue of the Kearsarge Beacon, Colby the Kangaroo (whose baby 'roo went by Junior) wrote a letter of introduction:

Hi, or should I be formal and say Hello?

When one is not addressing other kangaroos, it is sometimes difficult to know the correct salutation. But from what I was able to learn from my brief visit to the Colby campus, I guess Hi covers just about everything.

I must admit that I am having some trouble getting knee socks to fit me. When I go into Astor and ask for a pair, the sales girl gives me the oddest stare. I have the same trouble with Bermudas, but if I am going to live on the campus I want to look like the rest of the girls.

Are the beds comfortable? I have the hardest time explaining to my friends the rather extraordinary habit you girls have of putting your animals on your beds all day, and on the floor all night. Does the SPCA know about this?

I do hope we can become friends. When I went to Long Tail Teachers College my roommate used to get As on the French tests she never studied for either. So you see, we can talk if you have problems.

Well, I must hop along. I have more packing to do. Junior sends his love, and wants to know if he can take a sunbath behind Burpee, too?

Your loving mascot, Colby and X (Junior cannot write yet)

By the early 1960s, although students could still buy the kangaroo in the college bookstore, its origins had disappeared into speculation. A newspaper plea for information on the kangaroo's history was left unanswered, and soon its role as the college's mascot faded into memory, leaving the college without a mascot once again.

In 1975, Colby Junior College evolved into a four-year institution with a new name and identity. One of Colby-Sawyer College's first orders of business was to decide on a school mascot, and the college chose the Charger. Chargers were medieval war horses, but the exact origins of the Colby-Sawyer Charger remain a mystery. The 1981 student newspaper first mentioned the Chargers and, from that point forward, sports teams began to be referred to as the Chargers. The Charger mascot has persevered through coeducation and into the new millennium. In 2012, as the college developed a new visual identity, it decided to update the Charger logo to depict action and forward motion. This fall, history repeated itself. The sentiment expressed so long ago by the Kearsarge Beacon that “expense would be at a minimum and the gain would be long lasting” came back around when the college installed the Charger statue that now stands proudly in front of Hogan Sports Center and is called Victor.

- by Kelli Bogan, College Archivist

If you have information on why Colby-Sawyer selected the Charger as its mascot, contact Kelli Bogan at kbogan@colby-sawyer.edu.


About Colby-Sawyer College

Colby-Sawyer College is a comprehensive college that integrates the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. The College's faculty, staff and students strive for excellence in an engaged teaching and learning community that fosters students' academic, intellectual, and personal growth. With a strong emphasis on learning outcomes, including breadth and depth of knowledge, self-growth, creative and critical thinking, and effective communication, Colby-Sawyer prepares students to thrive post-graduation and make a positive impact upon a dynamic, diverse, and interdependent world.

Founded in 1837, Colby-Sawyer is located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. Learn more about the College's vibrant teaching and learning community at www.colby-sawyer.edu.