The Nittany Lion is the eastern mountain lion mascot of the athletic teams of the Pennsylvania State University, known as the Penn State Nittany Lions. Created in 1907, the "Nittany" forename refers to the local Mount Nittany, which overlooks the university.
| Nittany Lion | |
|---|---|
 The Nittany Lion mascot at the 2007 season opener | |
| University | Pennsylvania State University |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Description | Nittany Lion |
| Origin of name | Mount Nittany in Pennsylvania |
| First seen | 1904 |
| Website | gopsusports.com/nittany-lion |
History
editThe mascot was the creation of Penn State senior H. D. "Joe" Mason in 1904. While on a trip to Princeton University, Mason had been embarrassed that Penn State did not have a mascot. Mason did not let that deter him: he fabricated the Nittany Lion on the spot and proclaimed that it would easily defeat the Princeton Bengal tiger.[1]
The Lion's primary means of attack against the Tiger would be its strong right arm, capable of slaying any foes, which is now traditionally exemplified through cumulative one-armed push-ups after the team scores a touchdown. Upon returning to campus, he set about making his invention a reality. In 1907, he wrote in the student publication The Lemon:
Every college the world over of any consequence has a college emblem of some kind—all but The Pennsylvania State College...Why not select for ours the king of beasts—the Lion!! Dignified, courageous, magnificent, the Lion allegorically represents all that our College Spirit should be, so why not 'the Nittany Mountain Lion'? Why cannot State have a kingly, all-conquering Lion as the eternal sentinel?[2]
Historicity
editEastern mountain lions had roamed on nearby Mount Nittany until the 1880s.[2] The name "Mount Nittany" derives from the Algonquian word meaning "single mountain."[3] The "original" Nittany Lion can be seen in the Penn State All-Sports Museum. It was killed in Susquehanna County by Samuel Brush in 1856.[4] According to a July 1992 article in National Geographic by Maurice Hornocker titled "Learning to Live with Mountain Lions", "Courthouse records from Centre County, Pennsylvania, show that one local hunter killed 64 lions between 1820 and 1845. During those 25 years an estimated 600 cats were killed in that county alone."
Theme song
editIn the early 1920s, a song was created to honor the mascot. Entitled "The Nittany Lion", it is played during sporting events on campus.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Penn State: What is a Nittany Lion?". Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
- ^ a b Cronin, Brian (May 20, 2012). "The story of the Penn State Nittany Lion". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ https://www.psucollegian.com/news/borough/creating-penn-state-memories-the-history-impact-of-mount-nittany/article_128e9686-a884-11eb-9d42-97b2dfce47a0.html
- ^ This Is Penn State, An Insider's Guide to the University Park Campus, pg. 74
External links
edit- Official website
- Nittany Lion Mascots Archived 2018-03-10 at the Wayback Machine
- Esposito, Jackie R. and Steven L. Herb. The Nittany Lion, Penn State Press, 2001 ISBN 0-271-02115-2