The Story of Cy: Iowa State University's Beloved Mascot
Iowa State University's athletic teams are known as the Cyclones, a moniker that evokes the powerful storms that sweep across the Iowa landscape. Complementing this formidable nickname is Cy the Cardinal, the university's mascot. This article explores the history of Iowa State's nickname and the origin and evolution of its beloved mascot, Cy.
From Cardinals to Cyclones: A Nickname is Born
The story begins in 1895, when Iowa State was known as the Cardinals. In a resounding victory, the Iowa State football team defeated Northwestern 36-0. The Chicago Tribune, impressed by the team's performance and alluding to a series of tornadoes in Iowa that year, wrote that Northwestern "might as well have tried to play football with an Iowa cyclone as with the Iowa team it met yesterday." The name "Cyclones" stuck, resonating with the state's location in Tornado Alley.
Iowa State became the Cyclones after a series of tornadoes (then called cyclones) ravaged the area in 1898.
The Genesis of Cy: A Mascot to Match the Name
Despite the "Cyclones" nickname, Iowa State went without a mascot for nearly six decades. In 1954, Chev Adams, president of Collegiate Manufacturing, a supplier of college souvenirs, proposed the creation of a mascot to Iowa State sports information director Harry Burrell to complement the "Cyclones" nickname.
The school's Pep Council took on the task of organizing a contest to determine the mascot's identity. The decision was made to adopt a Cardinal, drawing inspiration from the university's cardinal and gold colors. Collegiate Manufacturing designed the first cardinal costume after receiving a green light from Alumni Association director W.E.
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Naming the Cardinal: The "Name-the-Bird" Contest
With the mascot chosen, a nationwide "Name-the-Bird" contest was launched to find a suitable name. Seventeen people submitted the name "Cy," and the honor of being the first to suggest the winning name went to Mrs. Ed Ohlsen of Ames, who won a personalized "I" blanket as her prize.
Cy has been a part of Iowa State's Homecoming celebrations ever since he was officially introduced to the world at the 1954 Homecoming. The Iowa State cheer squad introduced the original Cy during the 1954 Homecoming football game. The cost was $200. The eight foot bird was introduced at Homecoming, October 16, 1954.
Cy Through the Years: Evolution of a Mascot
Over the past half-century, Cy has undergone several makeovers and redesigns, reflecting the changing times and the evolving spirit of Iowa State University.
When Cy first was introduced, only one student served as Cy. Virgil Petty (’57 farm op, DVM ’64) was chosen out of pity by the athletic club to be the inaugural Cy after just being cut from the varsity basketball team. He tried out the costume - made mostly from chicken wire and aluminum - at Brown’s Sporting Goods several times before the big game. Due to the size and weight of the original costume, there were some physical requirements for students who wanted to fill the role of Cy. Applicants needed to be 5’11” (180.3 cm) to 6’2” (188 cm) and weigh 175 to 210 pounds (79.4 to 95.25 kg).
In 1972, on the way to the Liberty Bowl, the vehicle carrying the Cy costume was in an accident near St. Louis. The costume was bent, mangled, covered with oil, and splattered with battery acid but eventually made its way to Memphis, where a costumer and cleaning establishment worked tirelessly to repair the mascot. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a miniature "Baby Cy" made appearances at many athletics events. Several years afer the smaller "Cy" was discontinued, "Clone" debuted at Hilton Coliseum in January of 1989.
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Cy's Enduring Legacy: Spirit and Tradition
Cy's presence extends far beyond athletic events. The mascot participates in various events across the state of Iowa, embodying the spirit and pride of Iowa State University. Cy makes appearances at various Cyclone sporting events such as football, men's and women's basketball, volleyball, wrestling, soccer, softball, and gymnastics. In addition to sporting events, Cy is often requested to make various appearances across the state of Iowa for a number of events.
Cy, Iowa State’s historic mascot, celebrated 70 years of existence Oct.
Homecoming Traditions: Pep Rallies, Barbecues, and More
Homecoming at Iowa State is steeped in tradition, with pep rallies and barbeques playing a central role in fostering school spirit.
Pep rallies were a regular aspect of pre-football activities at Iowa State when Homecoming first began, and took place at that very first Homecoming in 1912. The early pep rallies were exciting gatherings, and traditions would come from these first Homecoming rallies. A number of the early Homecoming rallies were lucky to have members of the original 1892 football team attend the spirited assemblies. The early pep rallies often had various speakers from campus, including the President. Music was often given by the band, glee clubs, and the A-M-E-S Quartet. In 1923, the band marched to the pep meeting and then at the end marched to town followed by students, alumni, and faculty. In 1915 the Cardinal Guild organized a monster pep rally called the Pepperfest for Thursday evening. A year later the traditional "Beat Iowa" pep rally took place for the 1916 Homecoming game against Iowa, except at this pep rally many members of the original 1892 football team were present. 4,000 Iowa State supporters attended and Dean Stanton, first graduate of Iowa State, spoke at that rally (Stanton had spoken at every "Beat Iowa" pep meeting since football had begun at Iowa State). Members of Iowa States original football team marched around State Gyms floor to the fight song. Activities for Homecoming 1917 were more subdued than normal on account of the war. However, instead of the more usual indoor pep meeting in the gym an open air pep meeting took place in front of Central Building (now Beardshear Hall). On the years Iowa State played Iowa for homecoming, the traditional "Beat Iowa" pep rallies were held. These rallies were especially full of spirit for the upcoming game against our own state rival. For the 1920 Homecoming festivities, members of the original football team of 1892 were present. At that 1920 "Beat Iowa" pep rally, the original Iowa State quarterback, Bert German (and later the coach in 1894), gave an encouraging speech to fire up the crowd. He was the alumni "toastmaster" and gave rallying talks at other Homecoming pep meetings as well. Occasionally, even more than one pep rally took place for the Homecoming football game. In 1921 the Double A fraternity organized not one, not two, but three pep rallies. According to the Monday, November 14, 1921 issue of the Iowa State Student, this was "probably the most extensive in recent years". Plans included a Wednesday pep meeting from 7-7:45pm in the field north of the varsity tennis courts (Superintendent Tom Sloss was to furnish material for a bonfire), Thursday's nights pep rally was held in the traditional location of State Gym, and the third and last meeting on Friday evening was also held in State Gym. The football players were to speak at the bonfire on Thursday evening, and other speakers were secured for the State Gym pep rallies including Winifred E. Tilden (head of Women's Athletics) and football coach W. W.
Barbeques eventually became a part of the pep rallies, which were often called "pep barbeques". During the earlier years of Iowa State, an annual all-college barbeque had been a traditional part the fall semester. With the coming of more formal dances and social activities, the barbeques had ceased to take place. The first all-college Homecoming barbeque, the Barbeque Pep-Fest, took place in 1930 on Friday evening at 5:30, in the field which at that time adjoined the Armory. Beef, beans, apples, and coffee were all a part of that first Homecoming barbeque. 1,000 pounds of meat were at the barbeque, and 3,000 people attended. Ames residents were also encouraged to attend. According to a quote in the October 30, 1930 Iowa State Student, this was thought to be the most food served on campus in slightly more than half an hour. At least during the early years of these Homecoming barbeques, it was traditional for sororities, fraternities, clubs and dormitories to not serve dinner that evening in order to encourage attendance at the barbeque. In 1932, an hour after the food was served four buglers with cardinal and gold capes began the pep program which followed the barbeque. The Homecoming barbeques became known as "Hamburgers for Homecoming", but in 1942 the barbeque was called "Wieners in Wartime" due to shortages of ground meat during World War II. There was no Friday evening barbeque in 1943 due to the war, although the traditional pep rally and bonfire took place at the stadium. Themes occasionally were a part of the Homecoming barbeques. For instance, there was a picnic theme for 1958 and a 1920s theme in 1959. Over time, the bonfire and pep barbeques disappeared. The bonfire ceased in the mid-1960s, and the pep barbeque disappeared in 1970. New traditions were taking their place such as Yell-Like-Hell, concerts, and other activities. However, the bonfire occasionally appeared at Homecoming events in the 1980s and 1990s. Instead of the barbeque, today we have the Cyclone Central tailgate at the ISU Alumni Center before each home game, including Homecoming.
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The band and cheer squad have almost always appeared at pep rallies, but other activities have surfaced throughout the years in addition to those described above. In the 1950s, a tandem bike race hosted by the sororities took place just before the beginning of the rally. In 1954, the burst of three aerial bombs sounded the beginning of the rally, and a short parade through campus followed. Firework displays have also taken place, and at the 1962 pep rally Miss Iowa crowned the Homecoming Queen. The list could continue, and will continue for years to come.
Yell-Like-Hell: A Tradition of Spirited Support
Yell-Like-Hell was introduced to the Homecoming activities at Iowa State in 1963. Other colleges, such as the University of Wisconsin and Washington University, already had similar events that the students enjoyed so the Homecoming Committee members proposed it for Iowa State. For that first 1963 Yell-Like-Hell competition, any residence hall could submit an original yell, and the finalists would present their submissions at the pep rally on the Friday night of Homecoming week. The intention of Yell-Like-Hell was to raise the spirits of the football team for the Homecoming game the following day, and the success of that original aim is reflected in the continuing tradition of Yell-Like-Hell every Homecoming week since.
"Fight, Ames, Fight": A Song of Unity and Triumph
"Fight, Ames, Fight" emerged in 1920. Both the words and music to a new song, entitled "Fight, Ames, Fight" was written that year by Charles Bassett, senior animal husbandry student. The arrangement was made by Marion Lucille Bassett. For the first use of the pep song at the 1920 Homecoming "Beat Iowa" pep rally, band parts were written for the entire 56 piece military band (within one week, according to the November 17, 1920 Iowa State Student) and the words were sung by the A-M-E-S quartet. Ames is used instead of Iowa State because, at least in the early years, Iowa State was frequently referred to as "Ames" in order to avoid confusion with the University of Iowa. The letter "A" was awarded to varsity athletes and participants in the Women's Athletic Association was an "A" rather than an "I" until 1929.
Other Cherished Traditions
One cherished tradition of Cyclone football is the ringing of the Victory Bell after each gridiron triumph in Ames. It has graced the Iowa State University campus for more than a century. The bell was originally used to signal changes in class periods and student curfews. It was moved to Clyde Williams Field early in the 20th century and eventually Jack Trice Stadium. The bell was cast in 1890 by Clinton H. Meneely Bell Co.
The cannon, operated by members of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity, is traditionally fired after every Cyclone touchdown or field goal.
The now famous moniker for Iowa State’s home basketball facility was coined by Des Moines Register writer Buck Turnbull on Feb. 14, 1989, after the Cyclones stunned third-ranked Missouri 82-75. In the article, Turnbull called for more Hilton Magic in an upcoming game with Oklahoma State. Cyclone fans responded and ISU defeated the Cowboys 90-81 and a nickname was born.
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