The Enduring Legacy of the Penn State Nittany Lion Mascot
The Nittany Lion, "storied in song and legend," stands as Penn State's cherished mascot. Its origin traces back to 1904, becoming a symbol deeply intertwined with the university's spirit and history. The Nittany Lion's story is one of evolution, tradition, and the enduring power of school spirit.
The Genesis of an Icon
The Nittany Lion derives its name from Mount Nittany and the mountain lions that once roamed the region. The concept of the Nittany Lion mascot was born in 1904, not 1907 as some might think, when Penn State third baseman Harrison "Joe" Mason coined the phrase "Nittany Lion" during a baseball team trip to Princeton. Confronted by Princeton players pointing to a statue of their own mascot, the Bengal Tiger, Mason, without missing a beat, responded, "Well, up at Penn State we have Mount Nittany right on our campus, where rules the Nittany Mountain Lion, who has never been beaten in a fair fight."
Upon returning to campus, Mason, driven by the absence of an official mascot, championed his invention. He set about making his invention a reality. In 1907, as editor-in-chief of The Lemon, the college’s first humor magazine, Mason, writing under a pseudonym, used the publication as a platform to advocate for the adoption of the Nittany Lion as the college’s emblem. He wrote: "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'?"
The idea resonated with the student body. The mascot gained further traction after appearing on the cover of the 1908 yearbook.
Early Incarnations and Evolution of the Costume
Despite Mason's vision of a mountain lion, the original Nittany Lion mascot more closely resembled an African lion. In the fall of 1921, Richard Hoffman, Class of 1923, who had previously played a lion in a campus theatrical production of "Androcles and the Lion," donned a costume, complete with a mane, and crawled on all fours during a football game, marking the first official appearance of the Nittany Lion mascot. He borrowed a lion suit from a Penn State Thespians’ production of Androcles and the Lion and wore it at games until 1923.
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However, this "African lion" version faced a setback when football coach Hugo Bezdek banned it from the sidelines in 1927, deeming it a bringer of bad luck after a series of losses.
The Nittany Lion mascot disappeared for 12 years. Starting in the fall of 1939, gymnastics coach Gene Wettstone revived the mascot, becoming the first to wear a mountain lion suit and perform stunts at pep rallies and football games, at the request of Carl Schott, dean of the School of Physical Education and Athletics. Wettstone manned the outfit for one season before passing the responsibilities along to a student the next year. The Daily Collegian began to solicit money to pay for a new lion suit, which took on a look more closely resembling the Nittany Lion we know and love today.
The Nittany Lion Shrine
The second manifestation is the sculpture of the lion by Heinz Warneke, known today as the Nittany Lion Shrine. The gift of the Class of 1940, the Lion statue was sculpted on the site by Warneke and his assistant ensuring it was done in full view of students and they were permitted to ask him questions as he worked, so that this public art was an educational experience for all.
The "Original" Nittany Lion
Mason's inspiration was further fueled by a stuffed Pennsylvania Mountain Lion, known as the "Brush Lion," displayed in the original Old Main museum. The Brush Lion had been shot in 1856 in Susquehanna County, north of Scranton, by farmer Samuel Brush. The Brush Lion was part of the college’s display at the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, and also spent several decades on display and in storage at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh before it was finally returned to Penn State in 1996. After restoration, the “original Nittany Lion,” as it came to be called, was displayed in Pattee Library for several years. By then, mountain lions were extinct in Pennsylvania; Centre County’s last specimen was taken in 1893.
Modern Embodiment and Traditions
Today, the Nittany Lion mascot is an integral part of the Penn State experience. The individuals who have served as the Lion make up an exclusive group - to date, just 54 students have donned the suit as the official mascot of Penn State.
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The design and construction of the Nittany Lion mascot costume has evolved significantly over time. The earliest versions were produced by Clearfield Furs and made from real mountain lion skin. In 1990, following the company’s closure, production shifted to Elisabeth DeAngelo-Tucker and her husband John Tucker, who continue to create the suit. Elisabeth, trained in sewing by her mother Mieko DeAngelo, modernized the costume by introducing lightweight and washable polyester faux fur, improving durability and ease of maintenance.
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. The Nittany Lion's presence extends far beyond athletic events. He works with the cheerleaders rousing the crowd, does pushups after each score, and allows himself to be passed over the heads of the fans, hand-by-hand up through the stands. Over the years, the Lion has appeared at increasing numbers of athletic and philanthropic events as well. He attends sporting events, ribbon cuttings, fundraisers, and University and community events - bringing joy, comfort and connection to thousands. The mascot makes approximately 300 appearances each year. The Nittany Lion regularly appears in front of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members; interacts with University leaders, major donors and company CEOs; joyfully entertains enthusiastic football fans and solemnly brings comfort to individual children and their families in times of need.
Lion Troop is a dedicated support group made up of enthusiastic students who assist with various aspects of the Nittany Lion program, including creative projects, outreach, scheduling, marketing, and general support. This role involves a yearlong commitment, requiring 5-15 hours of work each week. Responsibilities include attending meetings, participating in events, brainstorming and creating props for skits, and fostering relationships across the University. A key goal is to help the Nittany Lion qualify for Nationals, which takes place every January and involves submitting a detailed video and potentially traveling and preparing a performance for competition. Informational sessions are held to best prepare candidates for the process and what the role entails.
Several notable trademark attributes have become an inherent part of the Nittany Lion over time - from doing one-arm pushups for every point scored on the football field, to spinning the tail and rubbing the ears, to leading a cheer with a cowbell. Every student who wears the suit carries these traditions while putting their own signature mark on the character.
The Person Behind the Mask
Unlike most Division I mascots, the Nittany Lion is portrayed by a single student at a time. On Nov. 22, Mason Reber was revealed as just the 54th student to have had the honor of officially serving as the Nittany Lion - which he has done since 2023. For decades, the name of the student wearing the suit was publicly announced and published throughout their tenure. According to White, intentional efforts have been made in recent years to keep the student’s identity a secret until the final home football game of their senior year, in line with other mascot programs across the country. Keeping their identity hidden also allows the students in the suit to step outside their comfort zone when they are in character.
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The students who portray the mascot do so anonymously. To date, everyone on record who has officially portrayed the Nittany Lion has been a student, with the exception of Gene Wettstone, former men’s gymnastics head coach. There is, however, one “mystery mascot” that served in 1961-62, whom no one can seem to identify.
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