Who are you? I am Purdue Pete, now 93 years old even though I may not look it. I am known across the country as the symbol of Purdue University's programs and athletic teams. In 1957, I became a regular feature at all Purdue football games when some kids in the Pep Committee thought it's be a good idea if I lead a few cheers. Larry Brumbaugh was the first Purdue pete choosen because of his ability as a tumbler. Cheerleaders were assigned to find a costume but could not find one at a reasonable price. Brumbaugh took on the task himself and found a woman from his hometown of Union City to make a papier-mache head for Purdue Pete. But it wasn't always this way, you may wonder how I became so popular....
Yeah, just how did you do it? Seems Purdue and Wabash were greet football rivals long ago. And when Purdue beat the Wabash in 1889 the representatives of the Liberal Arts school didn't think highly of it. Purdue players were called many names, one of them being "boilermakers." This caught ear of the Purdue students and stuck. It is not known when the transition from "Boilermaker" to "Purdue" took place.
How were you created and by whom? I was created and drawn by Art Evans, an artist who drew many famous college mascots. Art Evans created me at the request of Robert Eppel and Red Samuels, the founders of the University Bookstore. They were looking for something to set their bookstore off from the others already in town when their bookstore opened in the spring of 1940. They then got in touch with a firm by the name of Anson W. Thompson, and I was copyrighted August 28th, 1940, my birthday actually. I made quite an appearance in the 1944 Debris, which made me really famous. They used me on nearly every page, you need to take a look for yourself in the slide show below.
Mascot? Even with my popularity, I am not the official athletic mascot I seem to be. The Boilermaker Special, the locomotive seen on campus, holds this title still. I, Purdue Pete have changed some since my beginning, but my purpose is still the same -- to represent the University and to keep athletic spirits high.
Yeah, just how did you do it? Seems Purdue and Wabash were greet football rivals long ago. And when Purdue beat the Wabash in 1889 the representatives of the Liberal Arts school didn't think highly of it. Purdue players were called many names, one of them being "boilermakers." This caught ear of the Purdue students and stuck. It is not known when the transition from "Boilermaker" to "Purdue" took place.
How were you created and by whom? I was created and drawn by Art Evans, an artist who drew many famous college mascots. Art Evans created me at the request of Robert Eppel and Red Samuels, the founders of the University Bookstore. They were looking for something to set their bookstore off from the others already in town when their bookstore opened in the spring of 1940. They then got in touch with a firm by the name of Anson W. Thompson, and I was copyrighted August 28th, 1940, my birthday actually. I made quite an appearance in the 1944 Debris, which made me really famous. They used me on nearly every page, you need to take a look for yourself in the slide show below.
Mascot? Even with my popularity, I am not the official athletic mascot I seem to be. The Boilermaker Special, the locomotive seen on campus, holds this title still. I, Purdue Pete have changed some since my beginning, but my purpose is still the same -- to represent the University and to keep athletic spirits high.