The Enduring Legacy of the Jayhawk: A Mascot's Journey Through Kansas History
Mascots hold a special place in the hearts of college and university communities, believed to bring good luck and embody the spirit of their institutions. The University of Kansas (KU) is no exception, boasting the Jayhawk, a mythical bird with a rich and complex history. From its roots in the tumultuous era of "Bleeding Kansas" to its modern-day representation, the Jayhawk has evolved into an enduring symbol of the university and the state itself.
The Jayhawk's Contentious Origins: From Ruffians to Patriots
The term "Jayhawk" emerged around 1848, with early accounts placing its use from Illinois to Texas. In that year, a party of pioneers crossing what is now Nebraska, called themselves "The Jayhawkers of '49". The name is a portmanteau of two distinct bird species: the blue jay, known for its boisterous and thieving nature, and the sparrow hawk, a quiet and stealthy predator.
During the 1850s, the Kansas Territory became a battleground between pro-slavery and abolitionist factions. The opposing sides engaged in acts of looting, cattle rustling, and violence against each other's settlements. Initially, the term "Jayhawker" was applied to ruffians on both sides of the conflict. However, it eventually became associated with the "free staters," those committed to making Kansas a free state.
When Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861, the Jayhawk's image began to transform. During the Civil War, the Jayhawk evolved from a symbol of lawlessness to a patriotic emblem. Kansas Governor Charles Robinson raised a regiment called the Independent Mounted Kansas Jayhawks. By the war's end, Jayhawks were synonymous with the impassioned people who fought to make Kansas a Free State. Col. Charles “Doc” Jennison, abolitionist and commander of the 7th Kansas Cavalry “Jennison’s Jayhawkers,” in his Federal officer’s uniform taken in St. Louis.
The University of Kansas and the Jayhawk Mascot
Though the University of Kansas was not officially established until March 1865, it does have its roots during the violent antebellum period named, “Bleeding Kansas.” In 1855, just as the tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers grew, the concept of establishing a university was first raised by the Kansas Territorial Governor Andrew Reeder. There were several communities in the growing territory of Kansas that proposed the construction of public universities, but eventually, the citizens of Lawrence made it happen. It was not until February 1863, after Kansas entered the Union, that Governor Thomas Carney signed a bill into law establishing the state university at Lawrence.
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The town of Lawrence, the site of KU’s main campus, is deeply rooted in the Civil War. Named in honor of Massachusetts abolitionist Amos Lawrence, the town became the unofficial capital of the abolitionist movement in Kansas. In fact, the leaders of the New England Emigrant Aid Society established Lawrence as a town dedicated to the cause of abolition and turning Kansas into a free state. It was due to Lawrence’s ties to the abolitionist movement that made it a target for pro-slavery Border Ruffians and Guerrillas.
The name of the University of Kansas’ famous mascot, the Jayhawk, also is rooted in the Civil War. While the name’s origins are not certain, the term “Jayhawker” became the nickname of militant abolitionists operating along the Missouri-Kansas border in the years preceding the Civil War. It is said that the abolitionist former Governor of Indiana James Lane used the term to address his Free State Army. Lane later established a Federal brigade of Kansas volunteers, who were nicknamed the Jayhawkers. Lane’s Kansas Brigade was responsible for sacking the Missouri border town of Osceola in 1861. Interestingly, on the 150th anniversary of the Sacking of Osceola, the town of Osceola asked KU to revoke its mascot, but the university refused. Another abolitionist was Charles “Doc” Jennison, who organized the 7th Kansas Cavalry, also known as “Jennison’s Jayhawkers,” at the outbreak of the war. Jennison’s men fought at Iuka and Corinth, and later, throughout Major General Sterling Price’s Missouri Expedition in 1864.
It was not until the 1890s that KU’s sports teams used the Jayhawk mascot. The University of Kansas’ first building, the Old North College, is shown here in 1867 atop Mount Oread. The precise location of the University of Kansas in Lawrence was actually atop Hogback Ridge, later known as Mount Oread. Its outcroppings of chalk actually gave name to the famous KU chant, “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk.” This prominent piece of high ground was utilized by the first settlers from the New England Emigrant Aid Company when they first arrived in the area that became Lawrence. In August 1863, Missouri Guerrilla commander William C. Quantrill and his band of Raiders used Mount Oread as the assembly and lookout spot for their infamous attack on the town. After Quantrill’s Lawrence Massacre, Federal authorities erected several posts on Mount Oread for the defense of the community. While there were no attacks again on Lawrence after 1863, the closest the Confederates came to attacking it once again came in the fall of 1864, as Price’s Army of Missouri pushed westward toward the border.
Reverend Richard Cordley, the famous preacher who survived both sackings of Lawrence and the first person to receive a degree at the University of Kansas. There are also many graduates and administrators of KU who had prominent roles in the American Civil War. One was Richard Cordley, the pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church in Lawrence, who received the very first degree awarded by KU. Remarkably, Cordley - the “Jayhawker Preacher” - survived both attacks on Lawrence and served as a private in the 3rd Kansas Militia. Lyman Allen, a member of the Board of Trustees for KU, served as the Adjutant General in Kansas during the war. The second Chancellor of KU was John Fraser, who commanded the 140th Pennsylvania Infantry in the Army of the Potomac. When the regiment’s senior officers were killed or wounded during the fighting at the Wheatfield at Gettysburg, it was Fraser who assumed command.
The Evolution of a Mythical Bird: Visual Interpretations
In 1886, the Jayhawk made its first appearance in the famous Rock Chalk Chant. However, the question of how to visually represent the Jayhawk remained a challenge for years.
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Henry Maloy, a cartoonist for the student newspaper, created a memorable version of the Jayhawk in 1912, notably adding shoes to the bird's design. In 1920, a more somber Jayhawk, perched on a KU monogram, was adopted. Jimmy O'Bryon and George Hollingbery introduced a duck-like Jayhawk in 1923, while Forrest O. Calvin's 1929 rendition depicted a grim-faced bird with menacing talons. In 1941, Gene "Yogi" Williams gave the Jayhawk a more contentious appearance by opening its eyes and beak.
Harold D. Sandy's 1946 design, featuring a smiling Jayhawk, has endured as the most recognizable version, copyrighted in 1947.
The Jayhawk Today: A Ubiquitous Symbol of KU
Today, the Jayhawk is a ubiquitous symbol on the Lawrence campus. A birdlike figure on Dyche Hall, built in 1901, bears a striking resemblance to the Jayhawk. A large, modern statue of the Jayhawk stands in front of Strong Hall, a gift from the Class of 1956.
Any member of the University of Kansas community, present or past, automatically becomes a Jayhawk. The colorful bird, which does not exist in nature, has a friendly appearance today. In the past, the story was different. In previous decades the Jayhawk’s countenance underwent numerous transformations. There is evidence of another kind of Jayhawk, a militant and even vengeful one. When the image of this bird was first adopted by students of the university in the 1880s, the idea of the Jayhawk was combined with the sound of the words rock chalk (the soft limestone visible on the side of Mount Oread). The combined sounds created an appealing chant for all occasions.
The "Border War" and the Jayhawk's Enduring Significance
From the famous rivalry with the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou) dubbed the “Border War” to the unique Jayhawk mascot, the University of Kansas (KU) has some of the most interesting traditions, mascot, and lore of all American universities. At any game in Lawrence, Kansas, you will find the iconic blue and red Jayhawk, signs that reference John Brown, and the chant of “Rock Chalk Jayhawk.” Many KU fans and Kansas residents do not actually know the stories behind the university’s folklore.
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As of 2022, the Border War rivalry between Kansas and Missouri resumes, even though the two schools are no longer in the same athletic conference. The over-150-year conflict between the states maintains its tension and emotion, sparking heated taunts and battles on the court. This is especially true, knowing the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Tiger mascot refers to the Boone County Home Guard during the war.
The Jayhawk: More Than Just a Mascot
The term "jayhawk" dates to pre-Civil War era Kansas and was adopted by the KU as the official mascot in the early 20th century. Its design has morphed over the years to the bird we know today."[The Jayhawk] represents the University as a whole," Shulte said. "A good mascot is one that can change itself to adapt to different circumstances. And that's one thing about the Jayhawk that I always really appreciated."The book includes over 300 photographs from the University of Kansas archives, several of which have never been seen by the public.
James Lane and the Early Jayhawkers
James H. Lane was one of the early settlers. He came to Kansas with impressive political and military credentials: congressman, the lieutenant governor of Indiana, and an officer in the Mexican War. He was, above all, a powerful and charismatic speaker. He heard Lane urge on his troops: “As the Irish Jayhawk with a shrill cry announces his presence to his victims, so must you notify the pro-slavery hell-hounds to clear out or vengeance will overtake them. Jayhawks, remember, Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, but we are his agents.” Bondi commented in his report about Lane’s speech: “So originated the name, Jayhawks …, afterwards applied indiscriminately to all Kansas troops. The designation of Jayhawk was not entirely Lane’s invention. One of his fighters, Pat Devlin from Ireland, who claimed that this bird actually existed in Ireland. His description made it appear like a cruel animal: “When the Jayhawk catches another bird,” he said, “it strangles it to death, just like a cat does to a mouse.” What others called foraging off the enemy, Devlin called “Jayhawking.” There is no evidence that there was ever a bird called the Jayhawk in Ireland.
From the very beginning Jayhawk acquired a double meaning. In 1859, the struggle, with its constant back-and-forth of revenge attacks, reached a new phase with the participation of the most famous abolitionist John Brown. Brown encouraged attacks into Missouri for the purpose of freeing slaves. Such attacks led to the intensification of bloody reprisals on both sides. In that year a serialized novel with the title Jay-Hawker appeared in the Lawrence newspaper Herald of Freedom. The fictional representation of the Jayhawk made many fighters appear simply as thieves. Lane, the leader of the Jayhawkers, and Brown, called an “old Jayhawk apostle,” supposedly discussed Brown’s vision that the border attacks would eventually provoke a war between the North and South and thereby bring about the insurrection and finally free the slaves. There is no evidence that this meeting between Lane and Brown actually took place.
When Lane and his company of Kansas soldiers arrived at the White House, their fame as Jayhawkers had preceded them. John Hay, assistant to Lincoln, observed the arrival of Lane’s Frontier Guard, which took residence in the East Room to protect the president. Hay, Lincoln’s secretary, noted in his diary, these men were the Jayhawkers, and Lane was their leader. “[April 18, 1861] The White House is turned into barracks. Jim Lane marshaled his Kansas Warriors today . . . Lincoln, who was grateful to Lane for his services, appointed him brigadier general. At the outset of the Civil War, Lane returned to Kansas and recruited cavalry units for military incursions into Missouri. His most renowned engagement was in Osceola. Here he conducted a brutal raid in which the entire city plundered and then destroyed by fire. Defenders of Lane’s attack contended that his action led to the freeing of more than one hundred slaves. Lane was responsible for the formation of the first black regiment of the Civil War. It is said that Quantrill’s raid of 1863 was revenge for the raid that Lane had conducted in the Missouri town of Osceola. In Lawrence, Lane had a stable built on his property. The views on Lane’s contributions are sharply divided. For many of his contemporaries Lane was a hero. He was the flamboyant speaker who could excite his audience to action. He had many admirers, those who forgave him from his erratic and the brutal actions of his fighters. These contradictions were typical for the times, plagued as they were by the accusations of grave, unjust injuries and the responding cries for vengeance. The vicious circle of violence, in which Lane and the early Jayhawks participated, ended only with the conclusion of the Civil War.
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