The Evolution of the Saints: A History of the Flagler College Mascot
Flagler College is a private liberal arts college located in St. Augustine, Florida. Founded in 1968, the college is situated on the grounds of the historic Ponce de León Hotel, a landmark built in 1888 by Henry Morrison Flagler. Over the years, Flagler College has cultivated a vibrant identity, symbolized by its athletic teams, known as the Saints, and its evolving mascot. This article explores the history of the Flagler College mascot, from its unexpected beginnings to its modern-day representation.
The Early Years: A Real-Life Saint Bernard Named Brandy
In the early years of Flagler athletics, the college enrolled only women, who proudly referred to themselves as the "Saints." In October 1971, Flagler College introduced its first official mascot: a real-life Saint Bernard puppy named Brandy. The family of Janet Wiseman donated the 13-week-old female puppy to the college. To involve the entire Flagler community, a school-wide ballot contest was held to name the new mascot.
The Mystery of the Missing Mascot
In October 1977, The Gargoyle, the college's student-run newspaper, published an article titled "Missing Mascot Mystery Solved," which revealed that the students responsible for caring for Brandy had lost interest in having a mascot. As a result, Brandy was not getting enough attention or proper care and the hot and humid climate of Florida was believed to be unsuitable for this breed of dog. Brandy was relocated to a farm in Virginia owned by the brother of a former Flagler employee, Ann Trenner, where she lived happily. Trenner assured the college that Brandy was "doing very well" in her new home.
The Lion Takes Over: A Symbol of Strength and Stability
Nearly four years after Brandy’s departure from campus, in February 1981, the lion was officially adopted as the new Flagler College mascot. The lion was chosen for its strong symbolic ties to St. Augustine and its frequent presence in campus architecture and throughout the city. The Flagler Logo combines the rampant lion shield emblem with the words "FLAGLER COLLEGE" usually with a white background. The words are in gray and the Flagler shield is in crimson, gold, and gray. However situations may arise for the Primary and Secondary Trademarks to be used in different colors and backgrounds.
Lewis the Lion: A Modern Mascot
In 2011, a student-led naming contest organized by the Student Affairs Department officially named the mascot Lewis. In 2023, Lewis was fully digitized and now serves as the head of the College’s AI chatbot. Today, Lewis the Lion is more than just a mascot.
Read also: A Look Back at Flagler College Baseball
The Saints Nickname: Unraveling the Mystery
Jordan said one of her theories is that the Saints nickname came from the late St. Augustine Saints minor league baseball team. Athletic Director David Barnett believes the nickname came from the town of St. Whether or not Flagler will ever see change in the nickname to make it the same as the mascot is open for discussion. Until then, St.
Athletics at Flagler College
Flagler athletic teams are called the Saints. The college competes Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Flagler competes in Men's baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and track & field (indoor) and they compete in Woman's basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field (indoor) and volleyball. In 2009, the Flagler College Lady Saints volleyball team made it to the national championship, and finished in the top four of Division II volleyball teams in the nation.
The Flagler College Mace
It is a permanent insignia of office and is passed down to each succeeding president of Flagler College. The mace represents the power, strength, and stability of Flagler College. The lion is cast in bronze by Professor Emeritus Enzo Torcoletti. The imagery on the mace symbolizes the tree of knowledge, academic departments, and St.
"Flagler, We Hail to Thee": The College Alma Mater
After putting out some feelers, Taisey discovered the College had no official alma mater to speak of. Woelfel said the alma mater’s development from idea and inspiration to completion and performance seemed almost surreal.
Here we stand, together.
Read also: Empowering Futures
Where sand meets with the sea.
And the pasts meet with the future
In old St.
A Campus Newspaper
The Gargoyle is the college's student-run newspaper. Since becoming online-only, The Gargoyle has won nine Regional Mark of Excellence awards and published three more from Flagler Communication Department classes. In 2006 and 2007, there were several allegations of censorship or alteration of articles in the Gargoyle by the college administration. After September 2007, working on The Gargoyle was no longer required of communication majors.
Read also: Undergraduate Business at UNC
tags: #Flagler #College #mascot #history
